Confocal laser endomicroscopy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma: validation of the proposed criteria and proposal of a scoring system for real-time tumor grading.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is a fluorescence-based fiber-optic imaging technique with the potential for intraoperative grading of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). This study aims to (1) investigate the prevalence of the previously proposed CLE criteria for bladder cancer in papillary UTUC, (2) estimate the diagnostic value of CLE for UTUC grading and (3) propose a scoring system for a more quantifiable approach of CLE-based grading of UTUC.

Materials and methods

Ureteroscopic CLE was performed in patients with UTUC. Following CLE imaging, co-localized biopsies were taken for histopathologic comparison. Postoperatively, two blinded raters assessed the CLE images.

Results

Fifty-three papillary UTUCs (34 low grade and 19 high grade) were imaged w

SUBMITTER: Freund JE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6763512 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature