Endoscopic modalities for the diagnosis of Barrett's oesophagus

United European Gastroenterol J. 2016 Dec;4(6):733-740. doi: 10.1177/2050640615619281. Epub 2015 Dec 15.

Abstract

Barrett's oesophagus is a pre-malignant condition associated with the development of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Currently white light endoscopy and biopsy is the mainstay diagnostic tool. Yet this approach is troubled by issues related to cumbersome biopsy sampling, biopsy sampling errors and cost. Therefore in order to overcome such adversity, there needs to be evolutionary advancement in terms of diagnosis, which should address these concerns and ideally enhance risk stratification in order to provide timely management in real time. This review highlights the current endoscopic tools aimed to enhance the diagnosis of Barrett's oesophagus and its subsequent progression.

Keywords: Barrett’s oesophagus; chromoendoscopy; confocal endomicroscopy; narrow band imaging; optical coherence tomography; white light endoscopy.

Publication types

  • Review