[Clinical study of CT virtual endoscopy in staging diagnosis of bladder tumors].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate CT virtual endoscopy (CTVE) based on spiral CT in the staging diagnosis of bladder neoplasms and its clinical application.


METHODS
Forty patients with bladder neoplasms and 10 normal patients underwent volume scanning using spiral CT. All images with thin collimation and overlapping reconstruction were transferred to computer workstation to obtain the images of CTVE. The results of all CTVE findings were compared with those of conventional CT, cystoscopy, operation and pathological data.


RESULTS
CTVE showed the normal anatomical structure of bladder as actual cystoscopy. The size, configuration, location and extension of bladder neoplasms was detected by CTVE scans agreed with that of actual cystoscopy. CTVE revealed the structure of trigone of urinary bladder that were not available in actual cystoscopy, and they were confirmed operatively and compared with the pathological results according to the TNM classification of malignant neoplasms. The sensitivity of CTVE for bladder tumors and accuracy in preoperative neoplasms staging was 98% (39/40) and 85% (33/39), respectively. The sensitivity of mass detection of diameter > or = 0.5 cm was 100%. The results were studied in a blind way.


CONCLUSIONS
CTVE is a noninvasive, safe and reliable procedure in the staging diagnosis of bladder neoplasms. CTVE can well show bladder neck anatomy and serve as an important complementary method to conventional cystoscopy. The limitation of CTVE is that it can not observe change of mucosal appearances and perform biopsy.
Fu
Wei-jun
WJ
Department of Urology, General Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Beijing 100853, China. fuweijun@hotmail.com
Hong
Bao-fa
BF
Xiao
Yue-yong
YY
Liu
Qing
Q
Cai
Wei
W
Yang
Yong
Y
Gao
Jiang-ping
JP
Wang
Xiao-xiong
XX
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000379:methods*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology