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Published on: January 10, 2013
Endocytoscopy: novel endoscopic imaging technology for in-situ observation of bladder cancer cells
Takashi Ohigashi1, Norihide Kozakai, Ryuichi Mizuno
1Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan. ohigashi@sc.itc.keio.ac.jp
Background And Purpose:
Recent advances in endoscopy have enabled microscopic imaging of live bladdercancer cells in situ. The newly developed Endocystoscopy system (Olympus Medical Systems Co., Tokyo, Japan) is a flexible digital endoscope that has more than a 450-fold magnifying power on a video monitor.
Patients And Methods:
This supermagnifying endoscope was used to evaluate bladder carcinoma in five patients through the working channel of a rigid cystoscope.
Results:
The cell structure and nuclear morphology were imaged adequately compared with conventional hematoxylin and eosin staining of a biopsy specimen. The tumors were graded correctly in four of five cases.
Conclusion:
This novel technology appears to be useful for histologic diagnosis during endoscopic examinations, potentially allowing us to avoid a conventional biopsy.
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