摘要AIM: To evaluate the surface microvascular patterns of early colorectal cancer (ECC) using narrow-band imaging (NBI) with magnification and its effectiveness for invasion depth diagnosis. METHODS: We studied 112 ECC lesions [mucosal/ submucosal superficial (m/sm-s), 69; sm-deep (sm-d), 43] ≥ 10 mm that subsequently underwent endoscopic or surgical treatment at our hospital. We compared microvascular architecture revealed by NBI with magnification to histological findings and then to magnifi- cation colonoscopy pit pattern diagnosis. RESULTS: Univariate analysis indicated vessel density: non-dense ( P < 0.0001); vessel regularity: negative ( P < 0.0001); caliber regularity: negative ( P < 0.0001); vessel length: short ( P < 0.0001); and vessel meandering: positive ( P = 0.002) occurred significantly more often with sm-d invasion than m/sm-s invasion. Multivariate analysis showed sm-d invasion was independently associated with vessel density: non-dense [odds ratio (OR) = 402.5, 95% confidence interval (CI): 12.4-13 133.1] and vessel regularity: negative (OR = 15.9, 95% CI: 1.2-219.1). Both of these findings when combined were an indicator of sm-d invasion with sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 81.4%, 100% and 92.9%, respectively. Pit pattern diagnosis sensitivity, specificity and accuracy, meanwhile, were 86.0%, 98.6% and 93.8%, respectively, thus, the NBI with magnification findings of non-dense vessel density and negative vessel regularity when combined together were comparable to pit pattern diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Non-dense vessel density and/or negative vessel regularity observed by NBI with magnification could be indicators of ECC sm-d invasion.