title: Bowel wall enhancement in magnetic resonance colonography for assessing activity in Crohn's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study focuses on the correlation of the signal intensity (SI) of the bowel wall in magnetic resonance (MR) colonography with the inflammation activity in Crohn's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed MR colonography in 42 patients and compared the change of the SI of the bowel wall (T1-weighted/paramagnetic contrast medium) with colonoscopic findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Change of the SI and colonoscopically assessed inflammatory activity are significantly correlated (r=.676, P<or=.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The degree of the contrast enhancement of the bowel wall may be a criterion for the degree of inflammation in Crohn's disease.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Radiology, Charité Campus Virchow-Clinic, University Medical Center Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany. rainer.roettgen@charite.de
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Röttgen
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Herzog
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lopez-Häninnen
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Felix
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003287:Contrast Media; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media