Definition:
Virtual colonoscopy provides a way to look inside your colon and rectum without really having to go inside them. Doctors can use virtual colonoscopy to check for polyps, cancer, and other abnormalities of the colon and rectum.
The procedure is considered "virtual" because it relies on a computer program to generate a 3D picture of your large intestine using a bunch of x-ray images. This differs from conventional colonoscopy, which provides actual photos of your colon and rectum via a camera attached to a flexible scope that is physically threaded through your large intestine.
Source: Virtual Colonoscopy. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. May 2003. 10 Oct. 2006 [http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/virtualcolonoscopy/index.htm].
Virtual colonoscopy provides a way to look inside your colon and rectum without really having to go inside them. Doctors can use virtual colonoscopy to check for polyps, cancer, and other abnormalities of the colon and rectum.
The procedure is considered "virtual" because it relies on a computer program to generate a 3D picture of your large intestine using a bunch of x-ray images. This differs from conventional colonoscopy, which provides actual photos of your colon and rectum via a camera attached to a flexible scope that is physically threaded through your large intestine.
Source: Virtual Colonoscopy. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. May 2003. 10 Oct. 2006 [http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/virtualcolonoscopy/index.htm].
Also Known As: CT colonography
