根據一項最新研究，一種新型計算機輔助檢查系統能夠幫助放射科醫生鑒別包含對比增強液體的大腸息肉。

美國國立研究院Ronald M.Summers醫生是這篇文章的主要作者，他說：“據我所知，我們是最早報道CAD算法法則能夠發現浸沒在對比增強大腸液中的息肉；其它CAD算法法則還不能解決這個難題。”Summer博士說：選擇這種檢查方法的患者息肉被漏診的機會較少，患者進展到大腸癌的風險相應減少。

這項研究發表在2005年1月的《美國X線學期刊》上，研究人員研究了17例至少有1個浸沒在對比增強液體之下的確切的大腸息肉患者，總共有22個息肉。CAD系統能夠檢測出其中19個息肉。

Summers醫生說：“這種CAD算法法則能夠實際應用在大腸中充滿氣體的區域中，除了液體充斥的區域之外。因此被氣體、液體或者二者混和包繞的息肉都能夠被檢測出來。”研究人員描述這種算法法則象海豚一樣從大腸中的空氣“跳躍”到大腸中的液體，然后在返回知道大腸所有的區域都被觀察到為止。
 
CAD Finds Polyps in Contrast-Enhanced Fluid
 
A new computer-aided detection (CAD) system can assist radiologists in identifying polyps in colons that contain contrast-enhanced fluid, according to a new study.

“As far as I know, we are the first to publish a CAD algorithm to find polyps submerged in contrast-enhanced colonic fluid; other CAD algorithms do not yet deal with this problem,” said Ronald M. Summers, M.D., Ph.D., of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD, USA), and lead author of the article. The advantages to the patient of having such a method as an option is that fewer polyps will be missed and the patient’s risk of developing colorectal cancer will be reduced, according to Dr. Summer.

In the study, published in the January 2005 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology, the investigators studied 17 patients who each had at least one validated colon polyp that was immersed in contrast-enhanced fluid, for a total of 22 polyps. The CAD system was able to detect 19 of the polyps.

“The CAD algorithm can actually be used for the air-filled areas of the colon in addition to the fluid-filled portions, so that polyps surrounded by air, fluid, or both can also be detected,” stated Dr. Summers. The researchers describe the algorithm like a porpoise, that “jumps” from the air in the colon to fluid in the colon and back again until all regions of the colon are visualized.