LAUSR

Advances in endoscopic technology, including magnifying and image‐enhanced techniques, have been attracting increasing attention for the optical characterization of colorectal lesions. These techniques are being implemented into clinical practice as cost‐effective and real‐time approaches. Additionally, with the recent progress in endoscopic interventions, endoscopic resection is gaining acceptance as a treatment option in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). Therefore, accurate preoperative characterization of lesions is now required. However, lesion characterization in patients with UC may be difficult because UC is often affected by inflammation, and it may be characterized by a distinct “bottom‐up” growth pattern, and even expert endoscopists have relatively little experience with such cases. In this systematic review, we assessed the current status and limitations of the use of optical characterization of lesions in patients with UC.