A scoring tool for use in virtual chromoendoscopy can accurately detect remission and predict which patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) will have better outcomes, researchers say.

In an international multicentre study, the Paddington International virtual ChromoendoScopy ScOre (PICaSSO) was pitted against two other scoring systems to assess inflammatory activity using high definition and virtual chromoendoscopy of the rectum and sigmoid colon.

The final analysis included 302 patients with UC (mean age 48, 59% men, mean disease duration 15 years). Follow-up data were obtained six and 12 months after colonoscopy.

PICaSSO had a significantly superior correlation with histology scores than the Mayo Endoscopic Score and the UC Endoscopic Index of Severity, the researchers reported in Gastroenterology.