Ex vivo Fusion Confocal Microscopy of Colorectal Polyps: A Fast Turnaround Time of Pathological Diagnosis.

Background: Colorectal cancer screening programs have accomplished a mortality reduction from the disease but have created bottlenecks in endoscopy units and pathology departments. We aimed to explore the feasibility of ex vivo fusion confocal microscopy (FuCM) to improve the histopathology diagnostic efficiency and reduce laboratory workload.

Methods: Consecutive fresh polyps removed at colonoscopy were scanned using ex vivo FuCM, then went through histopathologic workout and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) diagnosis.