[Assessment of inflammatory activity in Crohn disease with hydro-MRI].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the value of hydro-MRI in the assessment of the activity of Crohn's disease.


METHODS
After an oral bowel opacification using 1000 ml of a 2.5% mannitol solution, axial and coronal breath-hold sequences (T2W HASTE +/- FS, contrast-enhanced T1W FLASH FS) were acquired in 63 patients with Crohn's disease at 1.0 T. The enhancement of the bowel wall was correlated with other MRI findings, with the Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI), and the C-reactive protein (CRP).


RESULTS
In Crohn's disease, contrast enhancement of the affected bowel wall is markedly increased in comparison with the normal bowel wall (+80 +/- 23% vs. +43 +/- 11%; p = 8 x 10(-11)). Positive correlations could be established between the increase of bowel wall enhancement and other MRI findings. Between the increase of bowel wall enhancement and the CDAI a poor correlation was found (r = 0.25; p = 0.046). There was no statistical correlation between the increase of bowel wall enhancement and the CRP (r = 0.09; p = 0.24).


CONCLUSIONS
Hydro-MRI allows an assessment of the activity of Crohn's disease.
Schunk
K
K
Klinik und Poliklinik für Radiologie, Klinikum der Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz. schunk@radiologie.klinik.uni-mainz.de
Kern
A
A
Heussel
C P
CP
Kalden
P
P
Mayer
I
I
Orth
T
T
Wanitschke
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D003287:Contrast Media