The race for mainstream gastrointestinal endoscopy: frontrunners

In recent years, gastrointestinal endoscopy has evolved and branched out from a primary naked-eye diagnostic technique to a multitude of sophisticated investigative and therapeutic procedures. While many of the new endoscopic techniques are currently too complex or expensive to make it to mainstream clinical practice, others are already bringing major progress to the management of digestive diseases. In this review we will discuss a selected group of the emerging techniques and technologies used to increase the diagnostic yield in the colon and small intestine, including Third Eye® Retroscopes®, colon capsule endoscopy, spiral enteroscopy and confocal laser endomicroscopy. We will also discuss over-the-scope clip devices, a relatively simple and inexpensive tool potentially capable of noninvasive closing intestinal perforations and allowing the removal of infiltrating tumors.