Can CTC be performed without a cathartic bowel preparation?
Yes. The preparation for laxative free CTC is accomplished using a combination of fecal tagging and low residue diet. However, the absence of a cathartic bowel preparation affects the diagnostic performance of this test and does not permit same day polypectomy. Specifically, the sensitivity and specificity of laxative free CTC is 91% and 86%, respectively, for polyps ≥10 mm, but is 59% and 88%, respectively, for polyps ≥6 mm. As such, laxative free CTC is generally reserved for patients unwilling to undergo a cathartic bowel preparation for either CTC or OC.
