Aim: To validate high definition endoscopes with Fujinon intelligent chromoendoscopy (FICE) in colonoscopy.
Methods: The image quality of normal white light endoscopy (WLE), that of the 10 available FICE filters and that of a gold standard (0.2% indigo carmine dye) were compared.
Results: FICE-filter 4 [red, green, and blue (RGB) wavelengths of 520, 500, and 405 nm, respectively] provided the best images for evaluating the vascular pattern compared to white light. The mucosal surface was best assessed using filter 4. However, the views obtained were not rated significantly better than those observed with white light. The "gold standard", indigo carmine (IC) dye, was found to be superior to both white light and filter 4. Filter 6 (RGB wavelengths of 580, 520, and 460 nm, respectively) allowed for exploration of the IC-stained mucosa. When assessing mucosal polyps, both FICE with magnification, and magnification following dye spraying were superior to the same techniques without magnification and to white light imaging. In the presence of suboptimal bowel preparation, observation with the FICE mode was possible, and endoscopists considered it to be superior to observation with white light.
Conclusion: FICE-filter 4 with magnification improves the image quality of the colonic vascular patterns obtained with WLE.