Background and aims: The effect of linked color imaging (LCI) compared with white light imaging (WLI) is conflicting. The aim of this meta-analysis is to compare the efficacy of LCI versus WLI for the adenoma detection.
Methods: PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library were searched up to the end of Aug 18, 2021. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing LCI with WLI were included. Dichotomous data were pooled to obtain the relative risk (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI), whereas continuous data were pooled using a mean difference (MD) with 95%CI.
Results: A total of 10 RCTs involving 5,510 patients were included. The use of LCI was associated with a statistically significant improvement in adenoma detection rate (ADR), polyp detection rate (PDR), mean adenomas per patient (MAP) and mean polyp per patient (MPP) when compared to WLI (ADR: RR=1.15, 95%CI: 1.07-1.23, p=0.0001, PDR: RR=1.15, 95%CI: 1.08-1.22, p<0.0001; MAP: MD=0.18, 95%CI: 0.09- 0.28, p=0.0002; MPP: MD=0.13, 95%CI: 0.01, 0.25, p=0.03). When stratified by size, LCI group had a higher detection rate of small adenomas (<10 mm) than the WLI group. Besides, LCI showed a significant decrease in adenoma miss rate (AMR) when compared to WLI. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in advanced ADR (AADR), sessile serrated lesion detection rate (SDR), cecal intubation rate, insertion time, and withdrawal time.
Conclusions: The pooled evidence suggests that LCI can significantly improve the detection of ADR, especially for small adenomas (<10 mm). Moreover, the AMR were significantly lower using LCI compared with WLI.