title: Virtual cystoscopy: the evaluation of bladder lesions with computed tomographic virtual cystoscopy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our objective was to assess the accuracy of computed tomographic virtual cystoscopy (CTVC) in the detection of urinary bladder lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five patients were examined using CTVC. Bladder scanned using multislice CT at a slice thickness of 1 mm. The data were transferred to a workstation for interactive navigation using surface rendering. Findings obtained from CTVC were compared with results from conventional cystoscopy and with pathological findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-eight lesions were identified. The smallest was 0.2 × 0.3 cm; the largest was 7 × 4.5 cm. Both CTVC and conventional cystoscopy were used. Conventional cystoscopy detected the same number of lesions that were detected by CTVC. On morphological examination, 26 of the lesions were polypoid, 7 were sessile and 5 were bladder wall-thickening. While one of the polypoid lesions was reported as an inverted papilloma, 2 of the 5 lesions that were identified as wall-thickening were malignant and 3 were benign. The sensitivity of using CTVC to identify neoplasias was 100%; the accuracy was 89%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the definitive diagnosis of some suspected urinary bladder tumours is only possible with conventional cystoscopy and biopsy, CTVC is a minimally invasive technique which provides beneficial information about urinary bladder lesions.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Ankara Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazit Education and Research Hospital, Department of Urology, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Osman Raif
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Karabacak
authors.forename: Esin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cakmakci
authors.forename: Ufuk
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: Fuat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Demirel
authors.forename: Alper
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dilli
authors.forename: Baki
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hekimoglu
authors.forename: Ugur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Altug