title: [Virtual Colonoscopy. Experience in 500 patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To show our experience and results in Virtual Colonoscopy (VC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Five hundred patients with personal or familial history of colorectal carcinoma and/or adenomas, or any kind of coloproctologic symptoms were studied. VCs were practiced using a helical CT scanner (300 patients) and a multislice CT scanner (200 patients) a few hours after Conventional Colonoscopy (CC), considered the gold standard. The patients were evaluated in a prospective blind study, to determine sensitivity and specificity of VC. Findings were classified as: 1) normal studies; 2) studies with pathological findings. This one was subdivided into: 2a) Lesions below 5 mm., 2b) Lesions between 5-9 mm., 2c) Lesions above 9 mm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  VC detected 253 normal studies whereas CC only detected 233. The sensitivity and specificity for each subgroup were: 2a) 87.8% and 86.9%; 2b) 95.6% and 91.4%; 2c) 100.0% and 100.0% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VC is a feasible and useful method for evaluating the entire colon. It is well tolerated, it has no complications and a high sensitivity and specificity for elevated lesions, especially the ones above or equal to 5 mm.
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Gastroenterología Dr. Bonorino Udaondo, Buenos Aires, Argentina. investigacion@diagnosticomaipu.com.ar
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carrascosa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Capuñay
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Castiglioni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sangster
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Corti
authors.forename: Dava
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carrascosa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D023881:Colonography, Computed Tomographic; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016037:Single-Blind Method