title: Diagnostic value of CTE in patients with Crohn's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of our study was to compare the accuracy of computed tomography enteroclysis (CTE) to that of biopsy in detecting bowel wall alterations of the terminal ileum in Crohn's disease (CD).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 43 patients with either diagnosed or suspected CD (16 females, 28 males) underwent CTE and ileoscopy. Ileoscopy diagnosed 35 patients with CD of the ileum, while 8 patients served as the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Computed tomography enteroclysis detected CD in 31 patients (88%) and in none of the control group. According to the criteria used for evaluation of small bowel loop distension, 31 cases were (72%) with optimal distension, nine cases (%21) with good distension, and three cases (7%) with poor distension. Computed tomography enteroclysis showed that mean ileal wall thickness in patients with CD was 6.8 mm (range, 9.5-4.1 mm) and 1.79 mm in patients in the control group (range, 2.20-1.38 mm). Mean postcontrast wall density in patients with CD was 81.9 HU (range, 111.6-52.2 HU) and 41.1 HU (range, 49.8-22.4 HU) in the control group. Mean postcontrast wall density in 17 patients with active CD was 97 HU (range, 67-123 HU) and 62 HU (range, 46-87 HU) in 18 CD patients in remission. We calculated that the overall sensitivity and specificity of CTE in detecting the severity of CD were 89% and 100%, respectively. Positive predictive value was 100%; negative predictive value was 89%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that CTE can reveal CD involvement of small bowel accurately and allow assessment of the degree of disease activity.
authors: GATA Haydarpasa Teaching Hospital, Department of Radiology, Istanbul, Turkey. drersini@yahoo.com
authors: Ersin
authors: E
authors: Ozturk
authors: Ozcan
authors: O
authors: Cakir
authors: Hakan
authors: H
authors: Mutlu
authors: Guner
authors: G
authors: Sonmez
authors: H Onur
authors: HO
authors: Sildiroglu
authors: C Cinar
authors: CC
authors: Basekim
authors: Esref
authors: E
authors: Kizilkaya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*