Bronchoscopic needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (nCLE) as a real-time detection tool for peripheral lung cancer

Introduction Diagnosing peripheral lung cancer with the bronchoscope is challenging with near miss of the target lesion as major obstacle. Needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (nCLE) enables real-time microscopic tumour visualisation at the needle tip (smart needle). Aim To investigate feasibility and safety of bronchoscopic nCLE imaging of suspected peripheral lung cancer and to assess whether nCLE imaging allows real-time discrimination...