NBI Doesn’t Help Find Polyps but Might Help Distinguish Them

Narrow-band imaging (NBI) has been evaluated for two potential uses in the colon: improving adenoma detection rates and determining polyp histology in real time. Most data on NBI for improving adenoma detection rates have been negative (JW Gastroenterol Mar 7 2008), whereas most data on determining polyp histology have been positive (JW Gastroenterol Apr 25 2008).

This prospective, multicenter, German study is the largest yet to evaluate NBI for adenoma detection. A total of 1256 patients (mean age, 64) were randomized to high-definition colonoscopy with either NBI or white-light imaging. Six examiners, each of whom had completed more than 10,000 colonoscopies, performed the procedures.

No significant difference was seen between the NBI and w…