Virtual Colonoscopy: A Practical Guide

From the reviews:

"The book contains 14 chapters devoted to very up-to-date topics in the field of virtual colonoscopy … . The topics are well chosen and the panel of international experts undoubtedly outstanding. … This book is a ‘must’ for abdominal radiologists in their daily practice. It is especially useful for radiologists approaching this interesting field for the first time … . It might also be of interest to gastroenterologists for beginning or updating their knowledge of this exciting topic." (G. Spinzi, Digestive and Liver Disease, Vol. 38, 2006)

"This well-illustrated book aims to provide a practical guide to the subject, covering common problems in both service introduction and scan interpretation. … A real strength of this book is the numerous high quality colour illustrations … . Overall, this book is thoroughly recommended both for radiologists hoping to establish a virtual colonoscopy service in their department or as a reference guide for individuals already experienced in the technique." (Dr. A. Moore, RAD Magazine, July, 2007)

Virtual colonoscopy, or CT colonography, is a novel and rapidly evolving technique for the detection of tumoral lesions in the colon. It promises to be of great value as a screening tool for both colorectal cancer and its adenomatous precursor. Virtual colonoscopy requires rigorous preparation, colonic distension, and optimization of scanning parameters. Dedicated reading, analysis, and reporting of the data sets are mandatory. With contributions from several leaders in the field, this book addresses all the important issues relating to virtual colonoscopy. There is a particular focus on practical aspects: how to start virtual colonoscopy in your department, the regular preparation, the importance of fecal tagging, how to reduce the preparation, how to obtain optimal colonic distension, and the correct scanning parameters. Imaging characteristics and pitfalls are considered in detail, with an extensive pictorial review of difficult lesions, and the importance of computer-aided diagnosis is discussed. This book will be invaluable to every radiologist seeking information on how to perform the exciting technique of virtual colonoscopy.