CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy) is a new technique for the screening of early rectal and colon cancer.

This test may be requested directly by a patient or by a patient’s referring physician instead of another screening procedure such a traditional colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy or barium enema. This test is also useful for evaluation of incomplete traditional colonoscopy – rarely, traditional colonoscopy exams which cannot completely visualize the entire colon secondary to variations in normal colon position or architecture.

Like traditional colonoscopy, CT colonography requires that the colon be clean and free of stool debris. After scheduling the procedure, a bowel preparation is necessary using a Fleet 3 Bowel Prep kit available from your drug store. Please contact Wyoming Radiology and MRI for details of the bowel prep procedure.

The entire examination takes less than 30 minutes with images for the examination acquired by a Toshiba 64CT. No IV punctures or anesthesia is necessary. 3D computer reconstructions and subsequent interpretation are performed by a board certified Radiologist with results to you and your physician within 24 hours.

CT Colonoscopy has advantages over the other colon cancer screening tests since it does not require sedation, anesthesia or IV injection. Also, no scope is passed through the colon thus eliminating the discomfort and risk associated with traditional colonoscopy. The Radiologist will also access other organs and structures in you abdomen and pelvis while interpreting the exam.

CT colonography is sensitive for discovering polyps and masses in the colon that are larger than 10mm in size (just under ½ inch in size). Abnormalities less than this size may not be detected by CT colonography. For this reason, if an abnormality is identified on the CT colonography test, you may need to obtain a traditional colonoscopy and biopsy. This CT colonoscopy test also uses medical x-rays and should therefore not be performed in patients who may be pregnant.

Patients may obtain this colon cancer screening test from Wyoming Radiology and MRI without a physician’s order. However, we require that patients provide the name of their primary physician so that examination results can be integrated into the patient’s medical record and adequate follow-up obtained.