Volume rendering in clinical practice. a pictorial review

Several post-processing techniques are currently available to the radiologist to optimize the review of the scan data acquired by multidetector CT. This is sometimes necessary as, when reviewing a volumetric data acquisition only as transaxial CT images, all the gathered information is not always displayed. Among all the current available post-processing possibilities, volume rendering is one of the most powerful techniques due to its various parameters and powerful segmentation capabilities. It is nevertheless the most complex technique, requiring a higher degree of training and experience from the radiologist to generate the desired result. Aim of this paper is to present the reader a pictorial review of the usefulness of volume rendering as a clinical tool, with emphasis on CT angiography and skeletal pathology.