Virtual colonoscopy is a minimally invasive technique that enables early detection of
colorectal polyps and cancer. Normally, a patient's bowel is prepared with colonic lavage
and gas insufflation prior to computed tomography scanning. An important step for 3D
analysis of the image volume is segmentation of the colon. The high-contrast gas/tissue
interface that exists in the colon lumen makes segmentation of the majority of the colon
relatively easy; however, two factors inhibit automatic segmentation of the entire colon. First …