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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffVirtual colonoscopy carries few risks:
- A tear (perforation) can occur in the colon or rectum wall due to the colon and rectum being inflated with air or carbon dioxide.
- An adverse reaction to the contrast agent sometimes used can occur.
- Radiation exposure during a CT scan may be a concern. The level of radiation used during a screening CT scan, such as a virtual colonoscopy, is lower than the amount of radiation used in a diagnostic CT scan. Radiation used during a virtual colonoscopy is unlikely to be dangerous, but the effect of cumulative radiation exposure after repeated exams is unknown.
References
- Schilling McCann JA, ed. Diagnostic Tests. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2007:106.
- Virtual colonoscopy. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/virtualcolonoscopy. Accessed March 18, 2009.
- Rockey DC. Computed tomographic colonography: Ready for prime time? Gastroenterology Clinics of North America. 2010;39:901.
- Levin B, et al. Screening and surveillance for the early detection of colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps, 2008: A joint guideline from the American Cancer Society, the US Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer, and the American College of Radiology. Gastroenterology. 2008;134:1570.
- Colorectal cancer screening. Bloomington, Minn.: Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement. http://www.icsi.org/guidelines_and_more/gl_os_prot/preventive_health_maintenance/colorectal_cancer_screening/colorectal_cancer_screening_6.html. Accessed May 2, 2011.
- Yee J. Patient preparation for CT colonography. In: Lefere P, ed. Virtual Colonoscopy: A Practical Guide. New York, N.Y.: Springer; 2006:23.
- Smith RA, et al. Cancer screening in the United States, 2011: A review of current American Cancer Society guidelines and issues in cancer screening. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2011;61:8.
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