Abdominal Imaging 25:59-61 (2000)
Neri E., Bonanomi G., Vignali C., Cioni R., Ferrari M., Petruzzi P., Bartolozzi C.
ABSTRACT: Virtual endoscopy enables the creation of endoluminal views of the aorta and its branches by processing spiral computed tomographic (CT) images, thereby allowing the preoperative and postoperative evaluations of abdominal aortic aneurysms, aneurysms of the splenic, celiac, and common iliac arteries, and renal artery stenoses. Moreover, it is helpful for verifying the position of stents and endoprostheses from within the aortic lumen. This method is a promising addition to spiral CT.
KEY WORDS: Aorta, aneurysm—Renal artery, stenosis—Prostheses—Images, virtual—Spiral CT.
Since the introduction of helical scanners, spiral computed tomography (CT) has progressively achieved and essential role in many vascular applications that were previously managed with conventional angiography [1]. This imaging modality allows fast and volumetric scanning of the human body and has been complemented by a parallel development of postprocessing methods to create a three-dimensional (3D) representation of anatomical structures [1, 2]. Among these methodsm virtual endoscopy (VE) is the most recent and is still under clinical investigation. VE is a 3D-perspective-simulating fiberoptic endoscopy, generated by processing spiral CT or magnetic resonance images [3].
Assessment of arterial pathologies with spiral CT integrated by 3D perspective, including VE, may enable an accurate preoperative evaluation for careful planning of surgery or interventional treatment and noninvasive follow-up. We report our experience on the clinical application of VE to the study of abdominal arteries.