In vivo confocal laser endomicroscopy during laparoscopy for gynecological surgery: A promising tool

Preliminary study of confocal laser endomicroscopy for in vitro specimens of the endometrium

“…No intraoperative or postoperative surgical or medical complications occurred in any of the 31 patients. The feasibility and safety of confocal microendoscopy combined with hysteroscopy was confirmed by its high-resolution imaging of the cancerous and benign tissues in real time, with findings similar to those of histopathology [ 13 ].…”

“…With no thermal damage to tissues or fluorescein-related complication, the feasibility and safety of pCLE in gastroenterology, otolaryngology, and other fields have already been validated[ 12 ]. Fluorescein is an eyedrop approved by FDA [ 13 ].…”

“…At present, the applications of this new technique in other organs such as ear, nose, throat, the bladder, lung, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas are gradually being verified [10][11][12]. However, there is only one exploratory observational study on the use of confocal microendoscopy in investigating the female reproductive system [13]. The female reproductive tract is a natural cavity, and colposcopy and hysteroscopy are advanced techniques used for the diagnosis and treatment of vaginal, cervical, and endometrial lesions.…”

Using FDA-approved drugs as off-label fluorescent dyes for optical biopsies: from in silico design to ex vivo proof-of-concept

“…Since the mid 1980's when optical biopsy pioneers such as Dr. Robert Alfano distinguished cancer from benign tissue without processing tissue ex vivo [6,7], substantial progress has been made on the use of real-time optical techniques both on excised tissue and in vivo. Optical biopsy instruments, where the objective lens or optical fibers fit within a clinically-used laparoscope [8,9], endoscope [10], catheter [11], or even down a hollow needle [12,13] are becoming progressively sophisticated and miniaturized, with seemingly exponential progress in technical innovations showcased annually [14]. Clinically, optical biopsies have been performed for over a decade during gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, with the clinical utility [15], classification schemes [16,17], and instrument vendors better described elsewhere [18].…”

“…These methods are also being applied to the lungs via bronchoscopy or in evaluation of pleural effusions [19][20][21]. Finally, optical biopsies outside of the aerodigestive tract are in the pre-to early clinical phase with promising but relatively limited data [9,[22][23][24][25].…”