Feasibility of intraoperative optical biopsy during endoscopic sinus surgery with confocal laser endomicroscopy: a pilot study

Introduction Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is an optical imaging technique that allows in-vivo, real-time, microscope-like assessment of superficial lesions. While there is substantial data on CLE use in the upper GI tract, there is limited information regarding its application in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. These structures show, however, a wider variety of frequent and concomitant benign and malignant pathologies, which could pose an increased challenge for optical biopsy by CLE.