Abstract
The endoscopic color of the early gastric cancer has been suggested to have acorrelation with mucosal microcirculation. To establish the quantitative method toevaluate the endoscopic color of early gastric carcinomas, we measured index of hemoglobin(IHb=32·log2 Vr/Vg)using electronic endoscopic image data. The 17 early gastriccarcinornas were divided in two grou.ps(13 differentiated carcinomas(DC)and 4 undifferentiated carcinomas (UC)). The IHb values of each pixels on the linear region of interest, which is set attributively on bath the center of lesion and surrounding background mucosawere calculated continuously. The hemoglobin distributing patterns on the linear region ofinterest were analytically contrasted with the histopathological findings of the corresponding sections. The mean IHb values of the carcinomatous lesion(IHb-L)and the background mucosa around carcinoma(IHb-B)were calculated. The median L/B ratios werecompared between the group of DC and the group of UC. The L/B ratio(1.21±0.08, median±95%confidence interval)of the DC group issignificantly higher compared to that(0.83±0.07)of the UC group(P<0.01, Mann-Whitney's U test). The characteristic distribution of IHb on the normal backgroundmucosa was regular wave-like pattern. The distribution of IHb on the DC represented highand irregular pattern. As for the UC, the IHb pattern was flatly depressed depending onthe thickness of the carcinoma within the mucosa. From the above mentioned results, itwas suggested that the IHb rnight be an useful quantitave marker to characterize endoscopic color imago of early gastric carcinomas.
