The significance of NBI observation for inflammatory bowel diseases
Matsui T., Kudo T., Iida M., East J.
Narrowband imaging (NBI) observation may provide important information for the assessment of pathophysiology in patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease. This seems to be especially the case for the evaluation of mucosal vascular pattern (MVP) in ulcerative colitis (UC), which has not been systematically and objectively scored by conventional colonoscopy. With NBI observation, circular pits of crypt openings and mucosal surface patterns, which conform to either coral reef-like appearance or villous appearance, can be easily observed in active ulcerative colitis (UC). While conventional colonoscopy is superior to NBI for the determination of small yellowish spots, crypt openings are better emphasized by NBI. NBI is useful for the assessment of mucosal vascular pattern (MVP). This is especially the case for quiescent UC. Under NBI observation, MVP comprises two distinctive patterns: a deep vasculature appearing green in color and superficial vasculature that is brown in color.