Probe-guided endoscopic system for 5-aminolevulinic acid-based photodynamic diagnosis in cholangiocarcinoma

The diagnostic accuracy for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is inadequate, necessitating the exploration of novel diagnostic approaches. Protoporphyrin IX (Pp IX), a metabolic product of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), emits red fluorescence upon blue light exposure. Because it accumulates selectively in cancer cells, photodynamic diagnosis using 5-ALA (5-ALA-PDD) has been integrated into clinical practice for diverse cancer types. Nevertheless, there is currently no device capable of capturing Pp IX-derived fluorescence for real-time 5-ALA-PDD within the biliary tract, largely due to challenges in device miniaturization.