Linked color imaging improves visibility of reflux esophagitis

BMC Gastroenterology

Table 7 Objective evaluations using color differences (Δ L,* Δ a,* Δ b,* Δ E*; mean ± SD)

Reflux esophagitis	L, a b* values	WLI	LCI	BLI	P value
Reflux esophagitis	L, a b* values	WLI	LCI	BLI	WLI vs. LCI	WLI vs. BLI	LCI vs. BLI
Surrounding esophageal mucosa vs. RE mucosa
MCE	∆L*	4.4 ± 6.5	13.3 ± 9.5	10.2 ± 10.6	< 0.001	< 0.01	n.s
	∆a*	– 7.8 ± 3.2	– 15.2 ± 6.9	– 1.7 ± 2.7	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
	∆b*	– 4.9 ± 3.2	0.5 ± 4.5	– 1.5 ± 2.6	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.01
	∆E*	12.3 ± 3.9	22.7 ± 7.1	13.5 ± 7.3	< 0.001	n.s	< 0.001
ERE	∆L*	– 10.8 ± 5.9	– 16.9 ± 12.9	– 21.5 ± 9.1	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.01
	∆a*	7.3 ± 4.9	18.7 ± 13.9	8.6 ± 4.4	< 0.001	n.s	< 0.001
	∆b*	11.2 ± 6.3	7.8 ± 7.7	– 1.6 ± 3.3	< 0.01	< 0.001	< 0.001
	∆E*	18.2 ± 6.8	31.9 ± 8.5	24.1 ± 8.4	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
RE mucosa vs. Gastric mucosa
MCE	∆L*	– 12.1 ± 6.9	– 10.6 ± 10.0	– 30.8 ± 11.2	n.s	< 0.001	< 0.001
	∆a*	3.6 ± 3.6	13.8 ± 5.0	15.4 ± 3.4	< 0.001	< 0.001	n.s
	∆b*	9.4 ± 5.3	15.8 ± 4.7	0.2 ± 4.9	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
	∆E*	17.6 ± 5.4	25.8 ± 5.9	35.2 ± 10.6	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
ERE	∆L*	– 2.9 ± 8.6	2.2 ± 10.1	– 8.7 ± 8.9	< 0.001	< 0.001	< 0.001
	∆a*	– 4.0 ± 5.6	– 6.9 ± 10.8	5.6 ± 3.9	< 0.05	< 0.001	< 0.001
	∆b*	– 1.2 ± 6.5	9.7 ± 12.6	– 1.2 ± 2.9	< 0.001	n.s	< 0.001
	∆E*	11.5 ± 6.4	20.3 ± 10.7	12.8 ± 6.9	< 0.001	n.s	< 0.001

BLI blue LASER imaging, ERE erosive reflux esophagitis (LA grades A–D), LCI linked color imaging, MCE minimal change esophagitis (LA grade M), RE reflux esophagitis, SD standard deviation, WLI white light imaging, ΔE* color difference (ΔE* = [(ΔL*) ² + (Δa*) ² + (Δb*) ²]^1/2)

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