Reliability of narrow-band imaging (NBI) hysteroscopy: a comparative study.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the usefulness of narrow-band imaging (NBI) technology for improving the diagnostic reliability of hysteroscopy.

DESIGN

Prospective controlled clinical study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).

SETTING

University hospital.

PATIENT(S): Three hundred ninety-five outpatient women undergoing diagnostic hysteroscopy were enrolled.

INTERVENTION(S): All patients underwent fluid minihysteroscopy with white light (WL) and NBI exploration with endometrial eye-directed biopsy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Hysteroscopic findings with WL and NBI were compared with histology, which was considered the gold standard.

RESULT(S): Overall, the number of correct diagnoses with NBI was significantly higher than with WL. For differentiating normal from abnormal endometrial histopathology, the use of NBI showed a significantly higher specificity (0.93 vs. 0.78) and negative predictive value (0.92 vs. 0.81); NBI hysteroscopy significantly improved the sensitivity for the diagnosis of proliferative endometrium (0.93 vs. 0.78), chronic endometritis (0.88 vs. 0.70), low-risk hyperplasia (0.88 vs. 0.70), and high-risk hyperplasia (0.60 vs. 0.40).

CONCLUSION(S): The use of NBI improved the reliability of diagnostic hysteroscopy. The high specificity and the low number of false negatives may reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies or of those performed in wrong areas. Moreover, compared with WL observation, NBI hysteroscopy showed significantly higher sensitivity for the detection of chronic endometritis and low-risk and high-risk hyperplasia.