Diagnosis of Pancreaticobiliary Diseases Using Cholangioscopy and Pancreatoscopy with Narrow-Band Imaging

Narrow-band imaging (NBI) makes it possible to emphasize the imaging of certain features such as mucosal structures and mucosal microvessels in gastrointestinal tract diseases. Recently, video peroral cholangioscopy (POCS) and pancreatoscopy (POPS) have been developed as diagnostic endoscopy for better observation of pancreaticobiliary lesions. Herein, we describe the clinical usefulness of POCS/POPS using NBI for the diagnosis of pancreaticobiliary diseases. In all pancreaticobiliary lesions, identification of the surface structure and vessels of the lesions by NBI observation was significantly better than with conventional observation. In conclusion, although maneuverability and fragility of POCS/POPS are limited and the current POCS/POPS is not equipped with magnification, POCS/POPS using NBI may be helpful for the observation of both fine mucosal structures and tumor vessels, resulting in correct target biopsy in patients with pancreaticobiliary diseases.