Virtual endoscopy: already a feasible proposition or a future prospect in diagnostics? A review of the literature

Abstract

The aim of this article was to carry out a retrospective analysis of the feasibility of using virtual endoscopy in the field of gastrointestinal diseases. After a retrospective review of the international literature the authors analyse the most controversial aspects of virtual endoscopy such as its effective diagnostic reliability and potential clinical employment with specific reference to diagnosing colon diseases. The international literature shows that virtual endoscopy is currently poorly sensitivity in detecting lesions measuring less than 10 mm in diameter and that the radiologist's experience can negatively condition the trustworthiness of this procedure. Virtual endoscopy is likely to be the future gold standard in the field of diagnostic imaging. Furthermore, it eliminates all the compliance-related problems and any risk of iatrogenic lesions such as perforations and bleedings which are typical of traditional endoscopy. Its current sensitivity, however, is poor and it is unable to detect lesions smaller than 10 mm. Its reliability therefore needs to be improved.