Published online Nov 16, 2013. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v5.i11.540
Revised: September 23, 2013
Accepted: October 15, 2013
Published online: November 16, 2013
Processing time: 173 Days and 15.9 Hours
An accurate, noninvasive and cost-effective method of in situ tissue evaluation during endoscopy would be highly advantageous for the detection of dysplasia or early cancer and for identifying different disease stages. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive, high-resolution (1-10 μm) emerging optical imaging method with potential for identifying microscopic subsurface features in the pancreatic and biliary ductal system. Tissue microstructure of pancreaticobiliary ductal system has been successfully imaged by inserting an OCT probe through a standard endoscope operative channel. High-resolution OCT images and the technique’s endoscopic compatibility have allowed for the microstructural diagnostic of the pancreatobiliary diseases. In this review, we discussed currently available pancreaticobiliary ductal imaging systems to assess the pancreatobiliary tissue microstructure and to evaluate varieties of pancreaticobiliary disorders and diseases. Results show that OCT can improve the quality of images of pancreatobiliary system during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancheatography procedure, which may be important in distinguishing between the neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions.
Core tip: Optical coherence tomography is a high-resolution diagnostic tool for pancreatobiliary system during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancheatography procedure.