Role of optical coherence tomography in Barrett’s esophagus

摘要

Traditional endoscopic techniques for Barrett’s esophagus(BE)surveillance relied on factor of probability as endoscopists performed cumbersome random biopsies of low yield.Optical coherence tomography(OCT)is a novel technique based on tissue light interference and is set to break conventional barriers.OCT was initially introduced in ophthalmology but was soon adopted by other areas of medicine.When applied to endoscopy,OCT can render images of the superficial layers of the gastrointestinal tract and is highly sensitive in detecting dysplasia in BE.Volumetric laser endomicroscopy is a second generation OCT endoscope device which is able to identify buried glands after ablation.Addition of artificial intelligence to OCT has rendered it more productive.The newer additions to OCT such as angiogram and laser marking will increase the accuracy of investigation.In spite of the few inevitable drawbacks associated with the technology,it presently outperforms all newer endoscopic techniques for the surveillance of BE.