Endoscopy plays a crucial role in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Advances imaging techniques allow visualization of mucosal details, tissue characteristics and cellular alteration. In particular chromoendoscopy, magnification endoscopy, confocal laser endomicroscopy and endocytoscopy seem to have the possibility to radically modify the approach to surveillance and decision making. Dye-based chromoendoscopy (DBC) and magnification chromoendoscopy improve detection of dysplasia, and evaluation of inflammatory activity and extension of ulcerative colitis and are thus considered the standard of care. Dye-less chromoendoscopy could probably replace conventional DBC for surveillance. Narrow band imaging and i-scan have shown to improve activity and extent assessment in comparison to white-light endoscopy. Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) can detect more dysplastic lesions in surveillance colonoscopy and predict neoplastic and inflammatory changes with high accuracy compared to histology. This technology is best used in conjunction with chromoendoscopy, narrow-band imaging, or autofluorescence because of its minute scanning area. This combination is useful for appropriate tissue classification of mucosal lesions already detected by standard or optically enhanced endoscopy. The best combination for IBD surveillance appear to be chromoendoscopy for identification of areas of suspicion, with further examination with CLE to detect intraepithelial neoplasia. However cost, availability, and experience are still an issue.
Keywords: Colorectal cancer; Crohn’s disease; Endoscopy; Surveillance; Ulcerative colitis.