Added value of CT colonography after a positive conventional colonoscopy: impact on treatment strategy

Conventional colonoscopy (CC) requires an experienced operator to avoid technical or interpretative errors, and an endoscopic error rate of 14% for tumor localization has been reported. We evaluated the impact of computed tomographic colonography (CTC) on surgical treatment strategy in patients with CC reported as having colorectal neoplasm.

Fifty-three patients testing positive for colorectal neoplasm on CC underwent CTC: 32 patients had CC in our hospital (group A) and 21 had CC in area hospitals (group B). All CTC procedures were performed with a multidetector CT system. The results of CTC and CC were compared with that of surgery. The preoperative surgical planning evaluated on the basis of CC and CTC was compared with the actual surgical approach, and the percentage of patients in whom CTC modified the treatment strategy suggested by CC was calculated.

CTC changed the treatment strategy in four of 53 patients (7.5%) in whom CC showed technical or interpretative errors. Group analysis showed that CTC did not influence the surgical management in any patient in group A but did affect treatment strategy in four of 21 patients (19%) in group B. The effect of CTC on treatment strategy between groups was statistically significant (p < 0.05). CTC identified five adenomas and three adenocarcinomas localized proximally to an impassable stenosis.

CTC can be used to reevaluate the findings of a positive CC and can indicate a more correct therapeutic approach in patients with colorectal neoplasms who are candidates for surgery.