Virtual Colonoscopy

This image of the colon is an example of computed tomography (CT) colonography, more commonly known as virtual colonoscopy. It is a minimally-invasive radiological procedure being investigated as a screening tool for colorectal cancer.

A CT scan was used to create this "fly-through" view of the colon. The blue marker indicates a polyp, an abnormal growth, arising from the wall of the colon. The blue marker was placed on the image by computer-aided detection (CAD) software developed and under investigation by researchers in the Clinical Center's Department of Radiology.

CAD software serves as a second set of eyes for a radiologist, explains Ronald Summers, M.D., Ph.D. Once a radiologist interprets the virtual colonoscopy images, CAD software is applied to identify sites that warrant closer inspection.

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