Clinical Application of Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy in the Diagnosis of Gastrointestinal Diseases.

Background: Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is a real-time microscopic imaging technique based on laser scanning technology. It enables subcellular histological visualization in vivo with a resolution of up to 1 μm and demonstrates over 90% sensitivity for detecting early gastrointestinal cancers and precancerous lesions. In recent years, the integration of CLE with fluorescence staining and artificial intelligence (AI) has further improved its image interpretation capabilities in identifying gastrointestinal inflammation and early cancer.

Summary: This review provides an overview of CLE's clinical applications in gastric and intestinal diseases. It also discusses the synergistic role of AI in enhancing CLE and highlights the clinical relevance of CLE in the detection of digestive tract disorders.

Key messages: CLE is a high-resolution real-time imaging technology that can identify early gastrointestinal cancers and precancerous lesions with high sensitivity, providing important basis for diagnosis and treatment. The integration of CLE with fluorescent staining and AI significantly improves its real time in vivo interpretation of inflammation and early cancerous lesions in the gastrointestinal tract. CLE is valuable in the auxiliary diagnosis and dynamic monitoring of gastrointestinal diseases, and the integration of AI further expands its clinical application potential.