Is Virtual Colonoscopy as reliable as conventional colonoscopy?
Virtual Colonoscopy has been shown to be as nearly as good as conventional colonoscopy in detecting clinically significant polyps and cancers in head to head trials. In fact, in some studies, Virtual Colonoscopy beat conventional colonoscopy in polyp detection because more of the colon was visualized. Conventional colonoscopy fails to visualize the entire colon in 10 to 20% of cases because the operator will be unable advance the scope to the end of the colon for technical reasons. A recent clinical trial conducted at Walter Reed Army Medical Center-Washington, D.C., National Navy Medical Center-Bethesda, MD and Navy Medical Center-San Diego, CA concluded that virtual colonoscopy is slightly more accurate than conventional colonoscopy in detecting significant colonic polyps. This study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2003. 1,233 screening patients for colon cancer were recruited and each patient underwent first virtual colonoscopy and within two hours underwent
A. Virtual Colonoscopy has been shown slight;y better results than in conventional colonoscopy in detecting clinically significant polyps and cancers. Virtual Colonoscopy will visualize the entire colon in most cases. Conventional colonoscopy will fail to visualize the entire colon in 10 to 20% of cases.
