Extracolonic Findings of CTC in Symptomatic Patients

In the U.S., computed tomographic colonography (CTC) is used primarily for patients with incomplete colonoscopy and, in some settings, for screening. Patients with symptoms suggestive of colorectal cancer are commonly evaluated by the combination of endoscopy and abdominopelvic CT scan. However, the use of CTC in symptomatic patients can potentially test for intracolonic and extracolonic pathology simultaneously.

In two randomized, controlled trials performed in the U.K., 1634 symptomatic patients underwent CTC, of which 959 (59%) had at least one extracolonic finding, the chance of which unsurprisingly increased dramatically with age. Most extracolonic findings (76%) were considered clinically unimportant, 18% were considered likely unimpor…