Increasing Information Capacity of Narrow Band Imaging Results in Diagnosis of Premalignant Lesions and Early Cancer of Esophagus

The aim of the investigation is to improve the diagnostic value of narrow band imaging in verification of premalignant lesions of esophagus by the means of the technique of automatic detection of abnormalities revealed in the course of examination.

Materials and Methods. The research covered 1204 high resolution esophagoscopies with NBI (narrow band imaging). The mean age of the examined patients was 49±11 years. The patients’ narrow band images were subject to colour segmentation using “EndoView” Program.

Results. A new technique allowed to diagnose 14 patients with Barret’s esophagus (1.16%), 3 patients with intestinal metaplasia (0.25%) and 2 patients with a low grade dysplasia (0.16%). 9 patients also had a low grade dysplasia in the area of peptic ulcers and strictures of esophagus (0.75%) and 3 patients demonstrated a high grade dysplasia/early cancer of esophagus (0.25%). The “EndoView” Program also enabled to reveal 7 more patients with small-focal abnormalities in esophagus, and in one of them an early esophageal cancer was diagnosed.

Conclusion. Colour segmentation of narrow band images increases the chances to diagnose the smallest abnormalities in esophagus. NBI endoscopy allows specifying premalignant lesions in esophageal mucosa in both low grade and high grade dysplasia that makes endoscopic examination highly informative and the case management strategy — more reasonable.

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Peganova E.V., Mitrakova N.N., Ryzhkov V.L., Rozhentsov A.A., Sazonov G.P., Mitrakov A.A. Increasing Information Capacity of Narrow Band Imaging Results in Diagnosis of Premalignant Lesions and Early Cancer of Esophagus. Sovremennye tehnologii v medicine 2012; (2): 68