Editing Virtual colonoscopy (section)

{{Short description|Medical imaging of the colon}}
{{Infobox interventions |
  Name        = Virtual colonoscopy |
  Image       = CT colonography of a rectal mass.jpg |
  Caption     = CT colonography of a rectal mass. Left image is a [[volume rendering]] and right image is a thin slice. It also shows the rectal tube used for insufflation of gas to distend the colon.|
  ICD10       = |
  ICD9        = |
  MedlinePlus = 007253 |
  MeshID      = D023881 |
  OtherCodes  = |
}}
'''Virtual colonoscopy''' ('''VC''', also called '''CT colonography''' or '''CT pneumocolon''') is the use of [[CT scan]]ning or [[magnetic resonance imaging]] (MRI)  to produce two- and [[3D computer graphics|three-dimensional]] images of the [[colon (anatomy)|colon]] (large intestine), from the lowest part, the [[rectum]], to the lower end of the [[small intestine]], and to display the images on an electronic [[display device]].<ref name="Heiken">{{cite journal | last=Heiken | first=JP |author2=Peterson CM |author3=Menias CO  | title=Virtual colonoscopy for colorectal cancer screening: current status: Wednesday 5 October 2005, 14:00–16:00 | journal=Cancer Imaging | volume=5 | issue=Spec No A | pages=S133–S139 | publisher=International Cancer Imaging Society | date=November 2005 | pmid=16361129 | doi=10.1102/1470-7330.2005.0108 | pmc=1665314 }}</ref><ref name="pmid16106357">{{cite journal |author=Bielen DJ |title=Clinical validation of high-resolution fast spin-echo MR colonography after colon distention with air |journal=J Magn Reson Imaging |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=400–5 |date=September 2005 |pmid=16106357 |doi=10.1002/jmri.20397 |name-list-style=vanc|author2=Bosmans HT |author3=De Wever LL |display-authors=3 |last4=Maes |first4=Frederik |last5=Tejpar |first5=Sabine |last6=Vanbeckevoort |first6=Dirk |last7=Marchal |first7=Guy J.F.|s2cid=22167728 |doi-access= }}</ref> The procedure is used to screen for colon cancer and [[polyp (medicine)|polyps]], and may detect [[diverticulosis]].  A virtual colonoscopy can provide 3D reconstructed endoluminal views of the bowel. VC provides a secondary benefit of revealing diseases or abnormalities outside the colon.