title: Magnetic resonance imaging based colonography for diagnosis and assessment of diverticulosis and diverticulitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  MRI-based colonography is a new minimally invasive imaging modality to assess the colon and abdomen. This new method which is applied mainly for polyp screening could be an integrative approach for colonic diverticulitis assessment. This study evaluated the feasibility of MRI-based colonography to assess diverticulosis or diverticulitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen consecutive patients with clinically suspected diverticulitis were examined by MRI colonography on a 1.5-T scanner. All patients underwent abdominal CT as gold standard. N-Butyl-scopalamin was given intravenously to reduce bowel peristalsis. After rectal administration of a T1-positive enema T1- and T2-weighted acquisitions with additional intravenous contrast were obtained. A 3D FLASH sequence was acquired for virtual colonography. The results were compared with CT and biological parameters such as white blood cell count and C-reactive protein.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 56 bowel segments (sigmoid colon, descending colon, transverse colon, ascending colon) in all 14 patients 54 were assessed to have good to fair image quality. Having CT as standard of reference, all sigmoid diverticula were diagnosed based on MRI. Inflammation as judged by CT was identically assessed on MRI. 3D models of the colon revealed further diverticula in the remaining colon; additionally, the 3D models gave a comprehensive image for surgical planning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our preliminary study MRI colonography revealed the same diagnosis as CT in all patients without ionizing radiation. Additionally, 3D-rendered models and virtual colonoscopy can be performed. This comprehensive 3D models could replace presurgical planning barium enema with concurrent assessment of the residual colon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. andreas.schreyer@klinik.uni-regensburg.de
authors.forename: Andreas G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Schreyer
authors.forename: Alois
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fürst
authors.forename: Ayman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agha
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kikinis
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Scheibl
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schölmerich
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Feuerbach
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Herfarth
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D023881:Colonography, Computed Tomographic / Q000379:methods*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004239:Diverticulitis, Colonic / Q000473:pathology*; D004240:Diverticulum / Q000473:pathology*; D004733:Enema; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media