Chromoendoscopy to Diagnose Digestive Disease

The Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease at Mercy in Baltimore is proud to offer chromoendoscopy as a way to help diagnose digestive disease. Chromoendoscopy typically is not offered during a general endoscopy but in centers, such as Mercy, that specialize in endoscopy. Though chromoendoscopy is a relatively easy procedure to perform, learning to read the staining pattern can be difficult. Mercy’s expert doctors are specialists at using chromoendoscopy, offered in our dedicated endoscopy suite, for digestive disease diagnosis.

What is Chromoendoscopy?

Chromoendoscopy is an endoscopy procedure used to diagnose abnormal cell changes and early stage cancers in the digestive tract and biliary system. If not for chromoendoscopy, these diagnoses would otherwise be unobtainable through a biopsy.

How does Chromoendoscopy work?

Chromoendoscopy uses nontoxic dyes, or stains, to identify areas of dysplasia, or changes in the cells of the esophagus lining. The chromoendoscopy procedure reveals otherwise invisible changes of the digestive tract lining. Using chromoendoscopy, the endoscopist obtains what would not be available through a directed biopsy.

When is a Chromoendoscopy recommended?

Chromoendoscopy helps diagnose gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. In addition, chromoendoscopy helps in the diagnosis and evaluation of adenomatous colon polyps and colon cancer. Chromoendoscopy also may be used to observe the esophagus in patients who have been diagnosed with Barrett’s esophagus.