Recent developments in optical molecular imaging allow for real-time identification of
morphological and biochemical changes in tissue associated with gastrointestinal neoplasia. This
review summarizes widefield and high resolution imaging modalities currently in pre-clinical
and clinical evaluation for the detection of colorectal cancer and esophageal cancer. Widefield
techniques discussed include high definition white light endoscopy, narrow band imaging,
autofluoresence imaging, and chromoendoscopy; high resolution techniques discussed include
probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy, high-resolution microendoscopy, and optical
coherence tomography. Finally, new approaches to enhance image contrast using vital dyes and
molecular-specific targeted contrast agents are evaluated
