Visibility evaluation of colorectal lesion using texture and color enhancement imaging with video

To evaluate the visibility of colorectal lesions using a novel image processing algorithm, texture and color enhancement imaging (TXI), that allows the acquisition of brighter images with enhanced color and surface structure.

During August-September 2019, patients referred for endoscopic treatment were prospectively recruited. Electronic data acquired while observing colorectal lesions using white light imaging (WLI) were obtained and recorded: WLI, TXI mode1 (with color enhancement), and TXI mode2 (without color enhancement) videos were constructed. The lesions were also recorded using narrow-band imaging (NBI) from the same perspective as WLI. Four video clips (WLI, TXI mode1, TXI mode2, and NBI) were made per lesion. Thereafter, video files for evaluations were prepared by randomly arranging all video clips. Finally, visualization scores were evaluated by four endoscopists, and the WLI, TXI mode1, TXI mode2, and NBI results were compared.

Overall, 22 patients with 68 lesions were recruited; the video file for evaluation subsequently comprised 272 randomly arranged video clips. Mean visualization scores using WLI, TXI mode1, TXI mode2, and NBI were 70.0 (±20.1), 80.5 (±18.6), 75.6 (±18.1), and 69.0 (±20.6), respectively. Mean visualization scores for flat lesions using WLI, TXI mode1, TXI mode2, and NBI were 64.1 (±21.2), 76.5 (±20.18), 71.8 (±19.4), and 64.2 (±22.0), respectively. Visualization scores using TXI mode1 were significantly better than those using WLI, TXI mode2, or NBI.

TXI enables improved visualization of colorectal lesions, even flat lesions, than WLI and NBI. TXI may allow better detection of colorectal lesions, although further prospective studies are required.