Learning curve in mucosal healing (MH) and inflammatory activity assessment by using the Erlangen MH score for confocal laser endomicroscopy (eMHs) in inflammatory bowel diseases

Introduction: Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is a modern imaging technique that enables real time histology, during endoscopy. Monitoring histological activity is important in evaluating the therapy response in IBD. Our group has recently validated an endomicroscopic mucosal healing score (eMHs), which has to be interpreted by skilled endoscopists. Aim & methods: Our first aim was to analyze the learning curve (LC) of MH assessment by CLE in endoscopists naïve to the CLE technique. Secondly, we comparatively investigated the LC between endoscopists and residents (i.e. acquainted neither to endoscopy nor to…