title: Diagnostic value of computed tomography colonography (CTC) after incomplete optical colonoscopy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study evaluated the role of computed tomography colonography (CTC) in patients who previously underwent incomplete optical colonoscopy (OC). We analyzed the impact of colonic lesions in intestinal segments not studied by OC and extracolonic findings in these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2014 and May 2015, 61 patients with a history of abdominal pain and incomplete OC examination were studied by CTC. CTCs were performed by 320-row CT scan in both the supine and the prone position, without intravenous administration of contrast medium. In all patients both colonic findings and extracolonic findings were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the study group, 24 CTC examinations were negative for both colonic and extracolonic findings while 6 examinations revealed the presence of both colonic and extracolonic findings. In 24 patients CTC depicted colonic anomalies without extracolonic ones, while in 7 patients it showed extracolonic findings without colonic ones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CTC is a noninvasive imaging technique with the advantages of high diagnostic performance, rapid data acquisition, minimal patient discomfort, lack of need for sedation, and virtually no recovery time. CTC accurately allows the evaluation of the nonvisualized part of the colon after incomplete OC and has the distinct advantage to detect clinically important extracolonic findings in patients with incomplete OC potentially explaining the patient's symptoms and conditioning their therapeutic management.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CTC accurately allows the assessment of both colonic and extracolonic pathologies representing a useful diagnostic tool in patients for whom complete OC is not achievable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Health Science, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy. Electronic address: n.maggialetti@gmail.com.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maggialetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Experimental Medicine, Magrassi-Lanzara, Second University of Naples, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy. Electronic address: dott.ssacapasso@gmail.com.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Capasso
authors.affiliation: Radiological Research, Molfetta, BA, Italy. Electronic address: dpinto@libero.it.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, A.O.U. San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona, Salerno, Italy. Electronic address: mattcarb1@tin.it.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, A.O. Solofra, Italy. Electronic address: a.laporta@virgilio.it.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laporta
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Health Science, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy. Electronic address: serena.schipani@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schipani
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Health Science, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy. Electronic address: piccolo_cl@tin.it.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Piccolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Health Science, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy. Electronic address: marcellozappia1@tin.it.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zappia
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal and Experimental Medicine, Magrassi-Lanzara, Second University of Naples, Piazza Miraglia 2, 80138 Naples, Italy. Electronic address: alfonso.reginelli@unina2.it.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reginelli
authors.affiliation: General Direction for Health, Molise, Italy. Electronic address: m.dinnocenzo@uimol.it.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Innocenzo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Health Science, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy. Electronic address: lucabrunese@libero.it.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brunese
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D023881:Colonography, Computed Tomographic; D003113:Colonoscopy; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: CT colonography; CTC; Extracolonic findings; Optical colonoscopy; Virtual colonoscopy