CT Virtual Endoscopy: An Initial Evaluation of Its Clinical Applications

Objective To evaluate CT virtual endoscopy (CTVE) in clinical practice.Materials and Methods CTVE was performed in 113 cases (86 patients and 27 normal volunteers), with the scanning sites of tracheobronchial tree (n=39), alimentary tract (n=33), larynx (n=13), cardiovascular (n=12), ear (n=6), billiary tract (n=4), bladder and ureter (n=3) and paranasal sinuses (n=3). The diagnosis of 72 patients were proved by pathology.Results The appearances of normal anatomy and varied lesions seen on CTVE images were similar to those seen with fiberoptic endoscopy. CTVE could demonstrate the stenosis and occlusion of the lumen, protrusive lesion over 5mm, and ulcer over 14mm in size. CTVE showed certain ability in localizing and characterizing lesions.Conclusion As a noninvasive diagnostic technique, CTVE can be clinically served as a supplement of, and partly replace, the fiberoptic endoscopy.