Colonoscopy is the
endoscopic examination of the large
colon and the distal part of the
small bowel with a
CCD camera or a
fiber optic camera on a flexible tube passed through the
anus. It may provide a visual diagnosis (e.g.
ulceration,
polyps) and grants the opportunity for
biopsy or removal of suspected lesions.
Virtual colonoscopy, which uses 2D and 3D imagery reconstructed from
computed tomography (CT) scans or from
nuclear magnetic resonance (MR) scans, is also possible, as a totally
non-invasive medical test, although it is not standard and still under investigation regarding its diagnostic abilities. Furthermore, virtual colonoscopy does not allow for therapeutic maneuvers such as polyp/tumor removal or biopsy nor visualization of lesions smaller than 5 millimeters. If a growth or polyp is detected using CT colonography, a standard colonoscopy would still need to be performed. Colonoscopy can remove polyps smaller than one millimeter. Once polyps are removed, they can be studied with the aid of a microscope to determine if they are precancerous or not. Colonoscopy is similar but not the same as
sigmoidoscopy. The difference between colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy is related to which parts of the colon each can examine. Sigmoidoscopy allows doctors to view only the final two feet of the colon, while colonoscopy allows an examination of the entire colon, which measures four to five feet in length. Often a sigmoidoscopy is used as a screening procedure for a full colonoscopy.
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Colonoscopy is a procedure whereby a doctor inserts a viewing tube (colonoscope) into the rectum for the purpose of inspecting the colon. Upon detecting certain abnormal areas of the colon a biopsy can be performed.
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