| [ Summary ] |
Diagnosis through the use of CT colonography (CTC) is already a common method for evaluating colorectal diseases in Western countries. Numerous studies have confirmed the capacity of CTC for detecting colon polyps, and CTC is recognized as an effective option for colon screening. However, in Japan, CTC is not widespread in clinical practice, as the visualization of flat or depressed lesions is unclear. Recently, visualization of these lesions has improved due to advances in the multi-detector row CT, and the spread of CTC in Japan is now expected. CTC equipment is now connected to 3D workstations, and based on high-resolution CT data, various 2D and 3D imaging techniques, such as virtual colonoscopy, virtual enema, multiplanar reconstruction and virtual gross pathology, can be obtained. In this article, we describe the uses of these imaging techniques in CTC. |