Virtual Colonoscopy - Results in the Diagnostics of Colorectal Tumors

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common malignancy in women and the most common one in men in the world. In Bulgaria, the incidence of new cases of colorectal cancer increases with each year. The gold standard in the diagnostic of colorectal cancer is endoscopic colonoscopy (EC) and over the past 10 years virtual colonoscopy (VC) has been established as a sensitive and accurate method for screening and diagnostics in patients with colorectal cancer.Aim: We performed a retrospective study including patients with colorectal neoplasms who underwent both endoscopic and virtual colonoscopy.Materials and Methods: 190 patients in total, who underwent both EC and VC from 2009 to 2015 in UMHAT `St. Marina`, were included in the study. We analyzed the indications for VC, its diagnostic value regarding tumor type, size, and localization.Results: Virtual colonoscopy was able to detect lesions in 180 of the patients. The most common indications were gastrointestinal bleeding, abdominal pain, and anaemia. The specificity and sensitivity were 94% and 98%, respectively. The results from EC and VC were comparable (p>0.05). Conclusion: Virtual colonoscopy is an established diagnostic method with high specificity and sensitivity and plays a significant role in the diagnosis and screening of colorectal carcinoma. VC is a non-invasive, painless diagnostic method and does not require sedation. It is useful as a omplementary method to EC and in cases where EC is not allowed.