Confocal laser endomicroscopy in the “in vivo” histological diagnosis of the gastrointestinal tract

Table 2 Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) classification of Barrett’s esophagus

Confocal diagnosis	Vessel architecture	Crypt architecture
Gastric-type epithelium	Capillaries with a regular shape only visible in the deeper parts of the mucosal layer	Regular columnar-lined epithelium with round glandular openings and typical cobblestone appearance
Barrett’s epithelium	Subepithelial capillaries with a regular shape underneath columnar-lined epithelium visible in the upper and deeper parts of the mucosal layer	Columnar-lined epithelium with intermittent dark mucin in goblet cells in the upper parts of the mucosal layer. In the deeper parts, villous, dark, regular cylindrical Barrett’s epithelial cells are present
Neoplasia	Irregular capillaries visible in the upper and deeper parts of the mucosal layer. Leakage of vessels leads to a heterogeneous and brighter signal intensity within the lamina propria	Black cells with irregular apical and distal borders and shapes, with strong dark contrast against the surrounding tissue