Narrow-band imaging in the endoscopic evaluation of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia patients.

INTRODUCTION Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT), also known as Rendu-Osler-Weber syndrome, is an autosomal dominant disease with a prevalence of 1:5000, that leads to multiregional angiodysplasia. Mucocutaneous telangiectasias and visceral arteriovenous malformations are common features of this disease. The presence of telangiectasias in nasal mucosa leads to recurrent epistaxis that affects up to 96% of patients. On the basis of the endoscopic appearance of the nasal telangiectasias, different morphologic classifications have been proposed. Narrow-band imaging (NBI) is an optical imaging technology recently applied in ear, nose, and throat endoscopy to enhance the detail of certain aspects of the surface of the mucosa such as blood vessels.