Mucosal imaging in colon polyps: New advances and what the future may hold

Abstract

An expanding range of advanced mucosal imaging technologies have been developed with the goal of improving the detection and characterization of lesions in the gastrointestinal tract. Many technologies have targeted colorectal neoplasia given the potential for intervention prior to the development of invasive cancer in the setting of widespread surveillance programs. Improvement in adenoma detection reduces miss rates and prevents interval cancer development. Advanced imaging technologies aim to enhance detection without significantly increasing procedural time. Accurate polyp characterisation guides resection techniques for larger polyps, as well as providing the platform for the “resect and discard” and “do not resect” strategies for small and diminutive polyps. This review aims to collate and summarise the evidence regarding these technologies to guide colonoscopic practice in both interventional and non-interventional endoscopists.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Colorectal Cancer Screening: Lesion Detection and Lesion Characterization

“…In addition to lesion detection, the other primary focus of AI systems in colonoscopy has been on the characterisation of polyps (computer-aided diagnosis-CADx). Although expert interventional endoscopists with advanced mucosal imaging are able to achieve a high degree of accuracy in histology prediction, this requires specialised training, experience, and time that may not be available in the general endoscopy setting [56]. Accurate histology prediction is of particular importance in two commonly encountered settings in colonoscopy.…”