Virtual Colonoscopy: A New Approach for Colorectal Cancer Screening

Virtual endoscopy is the processing of computerized tomography image data to create a virtual environment of the human body to allow diagnosis of disease processes. This new technique allows the observer the opportunity to interact with an image that is artificially generated by the computer. Virtual colonoscopy provides a method for processing data that can display computer images of the colon in a more anatomic life-like format to facilitate image interpretation and improve diagnostic accuracy. The clinical application of virtual endoscopic techniques is also being used with other procedures such as bronchoscopy, gastroscopy, cystoscopy, sinus imaging, virtual angioscopy, and cerebral ventriculography. Current screening recommendations for colorectal cancer are discussed in this article along with methods, advantages, challenges, and future opportunities for virtual colonoscopy.