Enhanced mucosal imaging and the esophagus--ready for prime time?

Innovation of endoscopic technology has recently been introduced to improve real-time visualization of mucosal architecture and subepithelial vascular structures. Since the esophagus is easily accessible using endoscopy and the length of required observation is limited, many different types of new imaging modalities have been reported and showing promising data. Early detection of neoplastic changes in the esophagus is devoted to the treatment in early stage cancer and theoretically leads to better prognosis. This review will focus on the emerging endoscopic technologies for the management of esophageal cancer.