Computed tomography colonography compared with conventional colonoscopy for the detection of colorectal polyps.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography colonography (CTC) compared with conventional colonoscopy (CC).


METHODS
Patients with an indication of CC were included. Fifty patients underwent CTC using multidetector CT before diagnostic colonoscopy was performed by an expert colonoscopist. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed individually both for each polyp and for each patient.


RESULTS
Fifty patients were included and 40 polyps were analyzed. The by-polyp sensitivity of CTC was 15% for polyps 5 mm or less, 75% for polyps 5- 10 mm and 75% for polyps 10 mm or larger. By-patient specificity was 6% for polyps 5 mm or less, 75% for polyps 5-10 mm and 80% for polyps 10 mm or larger. The specificity of CTC was 94%. CTC was preferred over CC by 90% of the patients. The mean colonoscopy examination time was 30 minutes for CC and 35 minutes for CTC (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The sensitivity of CTC is moderate in detecting polyps larger than 10 mm, low in detecting 5-10 mm polyps and very low in detecting those less than 5 mm. The overall specificity of the procedure was 94%. Procedure time was lower with CC than with CTC but the latter was better tolerated by most patients.
Chaparro Sánchez
María
M
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital La Princesa, Madrid, Spain. mariachs2005@gmail.com
del Campo Val
Lourdes
L
Maté Jiménez
José
J
Cantero Perona
José
J
Barbosa
Antonio
A
Olivares
David
D
Khorrami
Sam
S
Moreno-Otero
Ricardo
R
Gisbert
Javier P
JP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000175:diagnosis*; D023881:Colonography, Computed Tomographic; D003113:Colonoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011127:Polyps / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results