Assessment of spiral CT pneumocolon in preoperative colorectal carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the value of spiral CT pneumocolon in preoperative colorectal carcinoma.


METHODS
Spiral CT pneumocolon was performed prior to surgery in 64 patients with colorectal carcinoma. Spiral CT images were compared to specimens from the resected tumor.


RESULTS
Spiral CT depicted the tumor in all patients. Comparison of spiral CT and histologic results showed that the sensitivity and specificity were 95.2%, 40.9% in detection of local invasion, and 75.0%, 90.9% in detection of lymph node metastasis. Compared to the Dukes classification, the disease was correctly staged as A in 6 of 18 patients, as B in 18 of 23, as C in 10 of 15, and as D in 7 of 8. Overall, spiral CT correctly staged 64.1% of patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Spiral CT pneumocolon may be useful in the preoperative assessment of patients with colorectal carcinoma as a means for assisting surgical planning.
Sun
Can-Hui
CH
Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, China.
Li
Zi-Ping
ZP
Meng
Quan-Fei
QF
Yu
Shen-Ping
SP
Xu
Da-Sheng
DS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D023881:Colonography, Computed Tomographic / Q000592:standards; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011029:Pneumoradiography / Q000592:standards; D011300:Preoperative Care; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000592:standards