Imaging of the colon

The highlight of articles published on radiologic examination of the colon is the increasing indication for use of the barium enema for screening for colorectal carcinoma. Radiologic screening for colorectal cancer promises to be more effective than mammograptive screening and more cost-effective than alternative means, such as colonoscopy. Important work on defocography suggests that measurements of anorectal angle and pelvic floor descent are nondiagnostic, and that rectal-wall changes are the important findings. Findings on CT scanning continue to be investigated in diseases, such as diverticulitis and tuberculosis, that affect both the colonic mucosa and pericolonic tissues. An important new trend is the use of sonography to investigate the colon for the presence of neoplasms.