The image resolution of fiberoptic and video endoscopy was compared in a series of patients with early gastric cancer. Eighteen patients were divided into two groups. One group of patients (n = 9) was evaluated with fiberoptic endoscopy while the second group (n = 9) was evaluated using video endoscopy. The extent of cancer invasion, with special attention to size, shape and type of the lesions, was evaluated in each patient. Attempts were also made to identify the proximal and distal limits of tumor invasion and the endoscopic and postoperative findings were compared. Endoscopic delineation of lesions was possible in more patients undergoing video endoscopy compared to fiberoptic endoscopy. Video endoscopy gave better endoscopic images for determination of the limits and of the size of cancer invasion. Indigo dye spraying enhanced the accuracy rates in both groups of patients. The results of this study suggest that video endoscopy may be more useful than fiberoptic endoscopy in the evaluation of minimal mucosal changes of the gastrointestinal tract. We believe that video endoscopy may have a useful role in the gastrointestinal endoscopy if the problem of expense, which is its main drawback, can be solved.