Advanced endoscopy and artificial intelligence-enabled vascular healing for ulcerative colitis: promising frontiers
Yasuharu Maeda1, Shin-Ei Kudo1, Takanori Kuroki1
1Digestive Disease Center, Showa Medical University Northern Yokohama Hospital, Yokohama, Japan.
Clinical Endoscopy
|December 18, 2025
Summary
Microvascular changes in ulcerative colitis (UC) are key to disease progression. AI-enhanced endoscopy offers new ways to assess vascular healing, potentially predicting remission and improving patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Medical Imaging
- Artificial Intelligence
Background:
- Ulcerative colitis (UC) involves microvascular changes crucial for disease perpetuation and mucosal damage.
- Advanced endoscopic techniques improve visualization of these vascular alterations and their diagnostic significance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of microvascular assessment in UC management.
- To explore the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in endoscopic evaluation of vascular changes.
- To discuss the integration of vascular healing as a therapeutic target for UC.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent advances in image-enhanced and ultrahigh-magnification endoscopy.
- Analysis of AI-enabled endoscopic systems for automated vascular assessments.
- Examination of emerging data on AI-based vascular healing and its correlation with clinical outcomes.
Main Results:
- AI-based vascular assessments show promise in correlating with clinical remission and histological scores.
- AI may enable prediction of sustained remission in ulcerative colitis patients.
- Microvascular-targeted therapies combined with advanced imaging could transform UC management.
Conclusions:
- AI-driven endoscopic evaluation of microvasculature holds significant potential for UC management.
- Standardizing definitions and validating AI platforms are crucial next steps.
- Targeting vascular healing may lead to sustained remission and improved quality of life for UC patients.
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