title: Abdominal MRI after enteroclysis or with oral contrast in patients with suspected or proven Crohn's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Diagnostic results of magnetic resonance (MR) enteroclysis correlate highly with those from conventional enteroclysis; nevertheless, intubation of the patient and positioning of an intestinal tube is still necessary for the examination, which is often remembered as the most embarrassing part of the examination by the patient. A more comfortable and highly sensitive examination of the small bowel therefore would increase patient acceptance for recurring examinations, which are often necessary, for example, in patients with Crohn's disease. This study evaluates the diagnostic efficacy of abdominal MR imaging (MRI) of the small bowel after drinking contrast agent only compared with conventional enteroclysis and abdominal MRI performed after enteroclysis in patients with suspected or proven Crohn's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one patients with Crohn's disease referred for conventional enteroclysis underwent abdominal MRI after enteroclysis. Additionally, 1 to 3 days before or after these examinations, abdominal MRI was performed using only orally administered contrast. All MRI examinations were performed using a 1.5T scanner.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All pathological findings on conventional enteroclysis were shown correctly with MRI after enteroclysis and MRI after oral contrast only. Additional information by MRI was obtained in 6 of 21 patients. No statistically significant differences were found in assessing the diagnostic efficacy of the 3 examinations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abdominal MRI with oral contrast only can be used as a diagnostic tool for evaluation of the small bowel in patients with Crohn's disease and has the potential to replace conventional enteroclysis as follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Schreyer
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geissler
authors.forename: Helga
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Albrich
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schölmerich
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Feuerbach
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rogler
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Völk
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Herfarth
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000285:Administration, Rectal; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001466:Barium Sulfate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D004733:Enema; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA