Narrow‐band imaging flexible cystoscopy in the detection of recurrent urothelial cancer of the bladder

• Published in: BJU international 2008-03, Vol.101 (6), p.702-706
• Main Authors: Bryan, Richard T., Billingham, Lucinda J., Wallace, D. Michael A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; bladder; cancer; cystoscopy; Cystoscopy - methods; Humans; Image Enhancement; Medical sciences; narrow band; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - diagnosis; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; Prospective Studies; recurrence; Tumors of the urinary system; Urinary Bladder - pathology; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms - diagnosis; Urinary system involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous; Urinary tract. Prostate gland
• ISSN: 1464-4096; 1464-410X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2007.07317.x

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether narrow‐band imaging (NBI) flexible cystoscopy improves the detection rate of urothelial carcinomas (UCs) of the bladder. NBI is an optical image enhancement technology in which the narrow bandwidth of light is strongly absorbed by haemoglobin and penetrates only the surface of tissue, increasing the visibility of capillaries and other delicate tissue surface structures by enhancing contrast between the two. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between November 2005 and May 2007 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, NBI flexible cystoscopy was performed on 29 patients with known recurrences of UC of the bladder after initial conventional white‐light imaging (WLI) flexible cystoscopy with the same instrument (Olympus Lucera sequential RGB endoscopy system). RESULTS Subjectively, NBI provided a much clearer view of bladder UCs and in particular their delicate capillary architecture. Objectively, NBI detected 15 additional UCs in 12 of 29 patients (41%), as compared with WLI. The mean (sd) difference was 0.52 (0.74) UCs per patient (P