title: CT colonography: contrast enhancement of benign and malignant colorectal lesions versus fecal residuals.
abstract: We retrospectively reviewed the computed tomographic colonographic datasets of 22 patients. Mean attenuation values of benign polyps before and after contrast administration were 30 +/- 15 HU and 90 +/- 18 HU, respectively. Mean attenuation values of colorectal cancer before and after contrast administration were 43 +/- 15 HU and 124 +/- 18 HU, respectively. The mean attenuation value of solid fecal residuals was 43 +/- 15 HU. The difference in attenuation value between precontrast and postcontrast studies of polyps was statistically significant (mean 60 HU, p < 0.01); the same was true for colorectal cancer (mean 81 HU, p < 0.01). The difference between postcontrast density of polyps and cancer with respect to density of solid fecal residuals was statistically significant (p < 0.01). The use of contrast medium could be of help in computed tomographic colonography for discriminating polypoid benign lesions and colorectal cancer from fecal residuals.
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Department of Oncology, Transplants and Advanced Technologies in Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy. neri@med.unipi.it
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vagli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Picchietti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vannozzi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Linsalata
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bardine
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bartolozzi
mesh_terms: D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D023881:Colonography, Computed Tomographic / Q000379:methods*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005243:Feces; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media