Published online Jan 10, 2016. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v8.i1.1
Peer-review started: May 31, 2015
First decision: August 16, 2015
Revised: September 5, 2015
Accepted: November 13, 2015
Article in press: November 17, 2015
Published online: January 10, 2016
Processing time: 225 Days and 3.5 Hours
Core tip: Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) permits in-vivo microscopy evaluation during endoscopy procedures. It can be used in all the parts of the gastrointestinal tract with accuracy in about 86% to 96%. In spite of its high accuracy as well as several clinical applications, CLE is still not used in routine clinical practice. This could be correlated to many factors such as: cost of the procedure, lack of codification and reimbursement in some countries, absence of standard of care indications, availability, physician image-interpretation training, medico-legal problems, and the role of the pathologist. However, these limitations are relative, and solutions could be found based on new research leading to increased consensus overcoming present barriers.