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VIRTUAL COLONOSCOPY. DR DEEPIKA SOLANKI. Medical imaging procedure. Also known as CT colonography . Non invasive procedure. Uses X rays and computers. 2D and 3D images of rectum and entire colon with 3D reconstructed endoluminal views of the bowel. ACCEPTED INDICATIONS.
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VIRTUAL COLONOSCOPY DR DEEPIKA SOLANKI
Medical imaging procedure. • Also known as CT colonography . • Non invasive procedure. • Uses X rays and computers. • 2D and 3D images of rectum and entire colon with 3D reconstructed endoluminal views of the bowel.
ACCEPTED INDICATIONS • Incomplete colonoscopy due to an occlusive mass or stricture preventing examination of the proximal colon. • Incomplete colonoscopy due to colonic tortuosity, adhesions, severe diverticular disease or patient intolerance of colonoscopy. • Inability to perform colonoscopy due to requirement for anticoagulant therapy or risks of sedation. • Patients who adamantly refuse to undergo colonoscopy but have a strong indication for diagnostic colonoscopy.
CT COLONOSCOPY is under analysis as a screening tool for colorectal cancer because of its relative safety and greater patient acceptance as compared with other screening methods. • Follow up on colon cancer or polyps.
Why Screen? • Best method for controlling colorectal cancer • 70-75% of CRC occurs in asymptomatic individuals • Detect and remove adenomatous polyps, precursor lesions for CRC, and detection of early stage carcinoma • Reduce mortality
Barriers to Screening • Lack of health care coverage • Low education levels • Fear of pain • Fear of complications during procedure • Embarrassment of preparation process • Morbidly obese adults • Cost issues • Lost time from work • Lack of access
Risk factors for CRC • Family history of colorectal cancer • Personal history of adenomas or ovarian/uterine cancer • Long standing IBD (8-15 years) • Environmental factors (diet and meds) • Lifestyle factors (physical inactivity, obesity, and cigarette smoking)
Pathophysiology • Current belief is that most CRCs stem from preexisting adenomas • Adenomas that are large and/or have a villous component determine likelihood of containing invasive carcinoma • Polyps are slow growing and must grow for five years before they are clinically significant • Normal colonic mucosa is transformed into benign adenoma, followed by progression to polyp containing cancer, which can become invasive
Methods for Screening • Colonoscopy • Flexible sigmoidoscopy • Air contrast barium enema • Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) • CT colonoscopy
TECHNIQUE • COLONIC CLEANSING (pt needs to empty bowels by taking laxatives a day before the test) • COLONIC DISTENSION (done by using room air / carbon dioxide) • IMAGE ACQUISITION (done after colonic insufflation in supine and prone positions on a helical CT using low dose technique) • POST PROCESSING OF ACQUIRED DATA
Intravenous contrast improves detection of medium sized polyps (6-9 mm) especially in a suboptimally prepared colon. • After acquiring supine and prone scans, various software packages are used to display images in both 2D and 3D (endoluminal) views.
The table moves through the scanner to produce a series of 2 dimensional cross sections along the length of colon. • Patient is asked to hold his/her breath during the scan to avoid distortion on the images. • The scan is then repeated with the patient lying in prone position.
CONTRAINDICATIONS • ALLERGY to contrast. • Suspected colonic PERFORATION. • Acute colonic INFECTION ( acute diverticulitis, severe infective colitis). • Acute lower GI BLEEDING. • Complete colonic OBSTRUCTION. • Very recent colonic SURGERY (<1 week). • MEDICALLY UNSTABLE patients. • REFUSAL to undergo colonic preparation.
Detection Rates • Colonoscopy: Sensitivity of 88.2 (>10mm) Sensitivity of 90.0 (<6mm) • CT colonoscopy: Sensitivity of 92.2 (>10mm) Sensitivity of 85.7 (<6mm) • FOBT: detected 23.9% of advanced neoplasia • Flex Sig: 76% when used with FOBT • Air contrast barium enema: failed to identify up to 50% of polyps greater than 10mm in diameter
Advantages • Virtual colonoscopy is less invasive, safer, and takes less time than a regular colonoscopy • A thin tube to insert air into the colon is placed in the rectum rather than long flexible tube that is moved up your colon. • Patients do not require sedation or anesthesia and can return home on their own or get back to work immediately after the test. • VC provides clearer, more detailed images. • Extra colonic findings.
DISADVANTAGES • A radiologist cannot take tissue samples (biopsy) or remove polyps during VC, so a conventional colonoscopy must be performed if abnormalities are found. • May not show polyps smaller than 10 mm. • Exposure to radiation. • Slight risk of perforation while colonic distension.
Virtual vs. Optical Colonoscopy • Patients reported less discomfort with virtual colonoscopy • Shorter examination time with VC • VC less embarrassing • More patients were willing to repeat a VC at shorter intervals than CC
Conclusion • Not screening for CRC has great cost. • Very high detection rates in people with polyps over 5mm • Low detection rates for polyps less than 5mm could be acceptable because majority of polyps this size do not progress to CRC • Studies underway concerning technology advances that can affect the sensitivity and specificity for polyps and malignancy
Conclusion (Cont.) • Studies with stool tagging and digital subtraction are going on to eliminate bowel preparation, which would increase patient acceptance