Virtual Colonoscopy versus Traditional Colonoscopy and Barium study in the diagnosis of colonic diseases

Abstract

Virtual reality is a human-computer interface m which imaginary computer environments are created that interactively respond to and are controlled by the behavior of the user. New multimedia interfaces and three-dimensional devices allow users a complete immersion into these virtual words (Johnson et al., 1998 and Debatin et al., 1999). Virtual reality imaging is a nascent technology that combines helical computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance (MR) data and advanced three-dimensional graphics software to generate endoluminal perspective images of hollow organs. These virtual endoluminal views reproduce the perspective provided by the conventional endoscopic procedures. Virtual reality imaging of the colon or "Virtual colonoscopy" was first described by Vining et al., in 1994. The technique of virtual colonoscopy comprises thin-section helical scanning of the cleansed air­ insufflated colon and off-line generation of three-dimensional endoluminal perspective images of the colon with real-time "fly-through" capabilities. This technique was introduced for colorectal polyp detection and cancer screening (Vining et al., 1994).

Computed tomography (CT) colonography (Virtual colonoscopy) is an imaging procedure in which a series of helical CT scans of the patient's colon are rendered by computer into slices that can be visualized as still, rotatable images or serially combined to provide a three­ dimentional tour of the colon. So, this technique has been evaluated, mostly conducted in diagnostic (rather than screening) setting in higher­ risk patients. (Hosemann, 2004)