title: Technical quality of CT colonography in relation with diverticular disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study is to explore how the technical quality of the examination was affected by diverticular disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated a consecutive series of 78 subjects who underwent CTC for screening (n=58) or staging (n=20) colorectal cancer, 38 of them (49%) after an incomplete optical colonoscopy. Patients were administered a mild laxative and a iodinated contrast material for fecal tagging. We scored both the bowel preparation and the overall colon distension as poor, good, or optimal and measured the mean sigmoid colon diameter. We counted the number of diverticula and classified patients as having or not a severe diverticular disease (SDD). The number of the prompts of computer aided diagnosis (CAD) per patient was also considered. Mann-Whitney U and χ(2) tests were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No CTC complications occurred. The bowel cleansing was poor in 8 (10%) patients, good in 29 (37%) and optimal in 41 (53%); colon distension was poor in 7 (9%) patients, good in 38 (49%), and optimal in 33 (42%). Fifty-four (69%) showed diverticula and 30 (38%) had an SDD. Bowel cleansing and distension were not significantly impaired by neither diverticula (p>0.590) nor the SDD (p>0.110). Mean sigmoid colon diameter was reduced in presence of diverticula (28 mm versus 23 mm, p=0.009) or SDD (26 mm versus 22 mm, p=0.016). The mean number of CAD prompts per patient was not significantly increased by the presence of SDD (p=0.829).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bowel cleansing and distension at CTC were not influenced by the presence of diverticular disease.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Chirurgiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, and Unità Operativa di Radiologia Diagnostica e Interventistica, Azienda Ospedaliera San Paolo, Milan, Italy. nicola.flor@ao-sanpaolo.it
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Flor
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rigamonti
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Leo
authors.forename: Andrea Pisani
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Ceretti
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Opocher
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sardanelli
authors.forename: Gian Paolo
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Cornalba
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D023881:Colonography, Computed Tomographic; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003287:Contrast Media; D004241:Diverticulum, Colon / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007479:Iopamidol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; C057937:iomeprol; D007479:Iopamidol