title: Small bowel MRI: comparison of a polyethylene glycol preparation and water as oral contrast media.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare water and a polyethylene glycol (PEG) preparation as potential oral contrast media for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the small bowel.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two healthy volunteers underwent separate MRI examinations after drinking up to two liters of water or PEG preparation. Small bowel images were obtained every 10 minutes for at least two hours using breath-hold single shot half-Fourier imaging, including both thick section projection and thin section images. Examinations were evaluated by two radiologists in consensus, blinded to the volunteer and contrast details, for arrival at the terminal ileum, transit time, and demonstration of small bowel segments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PEG preparation was significantly better than water at reaching the terminal ileum (PEG 21/22 volunteers [95.45%], water 14/22 volunteers [63.6%], P = 0.04). There was no significant difference in the mean transit time (water 51 +/- 48 minutes, PEG 37.7 +/- 22 minutes) or in the demonstration of the stomach, duodenum, and jejunum, but the PEG preparation was significantly better at demonstrating the ileum (P = 0.005) and terminal ileum (P = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A PEG preparation is significantly better than water as an oral contrast medium for demonstrating the distal small bowel during breath-hold T2-weighted MRI.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Radiology, Addenbrooke's Hospital and Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Rohit R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Sood
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Joubert
authors.forename: Hilary
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.forename: Terence
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Doyle
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lomas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D014867:Water; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols