Enhancing endoscopic measurement: validating a quantitative method for polyp size and location estimation in upper...

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Medical Imaging
• Surgical Technology

Background:

• Accurate polyp size measurement is critical for malignancy prediction, intervention planning, and surveillance.
• Endoscopists' visual estimations of polyp size can lack precision.
• This study evaluates a novel quantitative method for precise polyp size and location measurement during simulated endoscopy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the accuracy and reliability of a new quantitative method for measuring polyp size and location.
• To compare the quantitative method's measurements against traditional caliper measurements.
• To evaluate the potential clinical implementation of this advanced measurement technique.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative method integrating electromagnetic tracking sensor data with segmented polyp border images was developed.
• This method generates real-scale 3D polyp border coordinates and estimates polyp location relative to anatomical landmarks.
• Simulated endoscopies in pig stomachs with artificial polyps were used for test-retest reliability and accuracy verification.

Main Results:

• Fifteen polyps were evaluated, with an average size of 12 ± 4.3 mm (range 5-20 mm).
• High test-retest reliability for polyp size estimation (ICC = 0.991) was observed.
• The method showed statistically non-significant mean differences for polyp size (-0.17 mm) and location (-0.4 mm) compared to reference measurements.

Conclusions:

• The developed quantitative method demonstrates high accuracy in measuring polyp size and location.
• This technique offers significant potential for improving clinical polyp assessment.
• The quantitative method represents a notable advancement over subjective visual estimation in clinical practice.