2020 Volume 62 Issue 1 Pages 74-84
The endocytoscope (EC) is a brand-new endoscope that enables in vivo evaluation of cellular atypia with a magnification of 520 times. The prototype of the EC, which was developed in 2004, was a probe-type endocytoscope for viewing the esophageal epithelium (XEC-300, 450 times; XEC-120, 1,100 times). After further development for more than 10 years, the endocytoscope (CF-H290ECI) was launched in 2018, making it possible for use in clinical practice. There are two ways to diagnose colorectal lesions by using an EC: (1) endocytoscopic vascular pattern (EC-V) classification, in which vessel findings are evaluated in combination with findings of narrow band imaging (NBI), and (2) EC classification, which involves evaluation of the form of the glands and nuclei after methylene blue staining. The EC-V classification is very simple, and the EC classification can be performed by evaluating cell variants in addition to structural variants, making it possible to make a diagnosis approaching pathological diagnosis. In this paper, we describe techniques of using the EC from basic observation to diagnostic methods.
