ABSTRACT
White light endoscopy is the basic imaging modality in any endoscopes. Through the insertion of an endoscope, this imaging modality enables a physician to visualize the internal organ, its color appearance, surface morphology, and texture. It covers a field of view of about a centimeter to several centimeters across. It not only serves as a diagnostic tool, but also provides visual guidance for various interventions such as sampling of liquid, cellular, and suspicious tissues (biopsy) and performing therapies, for example, electrocautery, laser ablation, and PDT (photodynamic therapy). An image is usually formed under white light illumination although varieties are introduced by altering the illumination, introducing exogenous dyes, or increasing magnification in order to extend its diagnostic capabilities. The configuration of ordinary white light endoscopy systems have been discussed in Chapter 2. This chapter will focus on the origins of signal, advantages and shortfalls, and varieties of this imaging modality.
