Chromoendoscopy: Where Is It Useful?

Tissue staining during endoscopy (chromoendoscopy) is a technique used to study the fine details of the mucosa throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Unfortunately, its applications and results are not known by many gastrointestinal or surgical endoscopists. Each stain has a few specific clinical applications. The mechanism of action of the stains should be fully understood before their use. Ideally, the clinician should use chromoendoscopy and the variety of stains either to confirm a clinical suspicion or to provide new information that could aid management in a specific setting. Endoscopic tattooing is a different technique where a specific site in the gastrointestinal tract is labeled by an intramural injection of a carbon ink suspension solution for future surgical or endoscopic identification.