Abstract
Endoscopy is an evolving science and the last two decades has seen it expand exponentially
at a pace unapparelled in the past. With the advancement in new procedures like image-enhanced
endoscopy, magnifying endoscopy, third space endoscopy, and highly advanced endoscopic
ultrasound procedures, endoscopic accessories are also evolving to cater the unmet
needs. Endoscopic cap or distal attachment cap is a simple but very important accessory
in the endoscopists' armamentarium which has changed the path of endoscopic procedures.
It has so far been used commonly mostly for variceal ligation and endoscopic mucosal
resections for colorectal polyps. But the horizon of its use has expanded in the recent
years for difficult clinical scenarios like providing stability to the endoscope,
overcoming blind spots during screening colonoscopies, maintaining clear field of
vision during endotherapy of gastrointestinal bleeding, and during magnification endoscopy
for lesion characterizations and so on. These caps are of different shapes, sizes,
colors, and material depending on manufacturers and their implications while performing
varied endoscopies. This review summarizes the clinical utilities of the cap in diagnostic
as well as therapeutic endoscopy and its expanding indications of use.
Keywords
distal attachment cap - EMR - endoscopy - ESD - magnification endoscopy - POEM
