Brief Articles
Copyright ©2009 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 28, 2009; 15(12): 1487-1492
Published online Mar 28, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.1487
Extracolonic findings of computed tomographic colonography in Koreans
Sung Keun Park, Dong Il Park, Sun-Young Lee, Sang Kil Lee, Young-Ho Kim, Soon Jin Lee, Jeong-Sik Byeon, Kyu Chan Huh, Ki-Nam Shim
Sung Keun Park, Dong Il Park, Department of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital 108, Pyung-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul 110-746, South Korea
Sun-Young Lee, Department of Internal Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul 110-746, South Korea
Sang Kil Lee, Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-746, South Korea
Young-Ho Kim, Departments of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 110-746, South Korea
Soon Jin Lee, Departments of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 110-746, South Korea
Jeong-Sik Byeon, Department of Internal Medicine, Ulsan University College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul 110-746, South Korea
Kyu Chan Huh, Department of Internal Medicine, Konyang University School of Medicine, Daejon 302-718, South Korea
Ki-Nam Shim, Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul 110-746, South Korea
Author contributions: Park SK made out the manuscript; Lee SY played a leading role in designing the study plan; Lee SK, Kim YH, Lee SJ, Byeon JS, Huh KC and Shim KN provided the collection of all study subjects and performed statistical analysis for collected data; Park DI, as corresponding author, designed the study and promoted research.
Correspondence to: Dong Il Park, MD, PhD, Department of Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital 108, Pyung-dong, Jongro-gu, Seoul 110-746, South Korea. diksmc.park@samsung.com
Telephone: +82-2-20012059  
Fax: +82-2-20012610
Received: December 12, 2008
Revised: February 23, 2009
Accepted: March 2, 2009
Published online: March 28, 2009
Abstract

AIM: To determine the frequency and characteristics of extracolonic lesions detected using computed tomographic (CT) colonography.

METHODS: The significance of extracolonic lesions was classified as high, intermediate, or low. Medical records were reviewed to establish whether further investigations were carried out pertaining to the extracolonic lesions that were detected by CT colonography.

RESULTS: A total of 920 cases from 7 university hospitals were included, and 692 extracolonic findings were found in 532 (57.8%) patients. Of 692 extracolonic findings, 60 lesions (8.7%) were highly significant, 250 (36.1%) were of intermediate significance, and 382 (55.2%) were of low significance. CT colonography revealed fewer extracolonic findings in subjects who were without symptoms (P < 0.001), younger (P < 0.001), or who underwent CT colonography with no contrast enhancement (P = 0.005). CT colonography with contrast enhancement showed higher cost-effectiveness in detecting highly significant extracolonic lesions in older subjects and in subjects with symptoms.

CONCLUSION: Most of the extracolonic findings detected using CT colonography were of less significant lesions. The role of CT colonography would be optimized if this procedure was performed with contrast enhancement in symptomatic older subjects.

Keywords: Computed tomographic colonography; Extracolonic lesion; Cost; Contrast enhancement; Clinical availability