Narrow-band imaging pattern classification in oral cavity
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Intraoperative Assessment of Resection Margins in Oral Cavity Cancer: This is the Way
Published on: May 10, 2021
Giancarlo Tirelli1, Alberto Vito Marcuzzo1, Francesca Boscolo Nata1
1ENT Clinic, Head and Neck Department, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Integrata di Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
Objective:
Narrow-band imaging is widely used in the diagnostic work-up of oral lesions. Different oral subsites present three epithelial types (1, 2a and 2b), each with a different structure and function. The aim of this study was to analyse and describe the different vascular patterns seen on narrow-band imaging according to oral epithelial type and histology.
Materials And Methods:
The narrow-band imaging photographs of healthy, dysplastic and neoplastic oral mucosa were retrospectively reviewed and divided according to epithelial type and histology. The different narrow-band imaging patterns were analysed, related to the clinical appearance of the specific area, accurately described and drawn by a professional designer.
Results:
The photographs of 302 patients were considered. Six patterns were identified: Normal mucosa exhibited different appearance in each type of epithelium; dysplastic mucosa presented the same pattern in type 1 and 2a epithelia, which differed from that of type 2b epithelium; in cancer, mucosal appearance was identical irrespective of epithelial type, due to complete vascular destruction.
Conclusions:
The proposed classification could serve as a guide for clinicians approaching narrowband imaging, especially at early stages of the learning curve, to differentiate normal mucosa from malignant lesions and possibly reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies.
Related Concept Videos
Oral Cavity
Teeth: The teeth are the hardest structures in our bodies. Humans have two sets of teeth throughout their lifetime: deciduous (baby) teeth and permanent teeth. Each tooth consists of several parts: the crown (visible part), the root (embedded in the jaw), enamel (hard outer...
Band Theory
The energy difference between these bands is known as the band gap.
Conductor, Semiconductor,...
Distribution of Stresses in a Narrow Rectangular Beam
Energy Bands in Solids
Band Formation:
When atoms are brought close together, as in a solid, these discrete energy levels begin to split due to the overlap of electron orbitals from adjacent atoms. This split occurs because of the Pauli exclusion principle, which states...
Nose and Nasal Cavity
Standing Waves in a Cavity

