Advances in esophageal imaging: practical applications for clinicians.

In the 1960s, the revolution in the diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal diseases began with the introduction of the first flexible fiber endoscope. Since then, the technologies have evolved greatly. Particularly in recent years, much emphasis has been placed on developing new gastrointestinal endoscopy technologies or techniques in order to provide a precise and even a "real time" endoscopic diagnosis. Magnification and high-resolution endoscopy, chromoendoscopy, and narrow band imaging stand at the forefront of the novel endoscopic techniques for the diagnosis of conditions such as squamous cell carcinoma, Barrett's esophagus, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. This review summarizes the recent advances in esophageal imaging and its practical applications for clinicians.