Follow up by CT-colonoscopy of patients with colostoma after resection on the occasion of colorectal cancer.

The follow up of patients operated for colorectal cancer (CRC) and the early detection of recurrences and metachronous tumors improves significantly the results of treatment and the survival of the patients. Computed Tomography (CT) and fibro-colonoscopy (FCS) are the main applied image diagnostic methods for this aim. Alternative unified method is the CT colonoscopy (CTC -"virtual colonoscopy" ) with i.v. appliance of contrast. A particular group of patients liable to control are those after Miles and Hartmann operation with created colostoma. The performance of CTC and its informativeness in these cases is specific and represents a challenge. For a two-year period were implemented generally 48 "virtual colonoscopies" (CTC) in stoma patients--21 male and 27 female, average age 53.2 ± 9 years. The postoperative interval to the CTC varied 8 to 29 months. The studies were performed on a 32 detector CT - GE: 32 x 0.625mm and rotation time 0.6 sec. with automatic modulation of the dose. The CT images are processed with special software for CTC and analyzed according to standardized system for reporting of findings in CTC - C-RADS. The specific technique for CTC in stoma patients is described. CTC was entirely accomplished in all 48 cases (100%). The duration of the studies varied 10 to 25 min. (average 17 min.). No essential side effects or according to the procedure complications were marked. To one patient a conventional FCS was recommended for accurate assessment of a collapsed bowel segment. Adequate marking of the fecal odds with barium sulfate was marked in all cases. The CTC findings were assessed as normal in 23 cases (48%). In 25 patients (52%) were described pathologic findings of colonic and extra-colonic origin. Conclusions that CTC in patients operated according to the methods of Miles and Hartmann is technically feasible and could be executed for complex assessment of large bowel and extra-colonic abdominal structures. CTC possess the advantage of the possibility for synchronous assessment of the organs and structures in the abdominal cavity, which is economically profitable, saves time and psychical suspense for the patients and avoids the risk of complications and unpleasant experiences of the patient durinf a conventional FCS.