title: Current and future diagnostic approaches: from serologies to imaging.
abstract: Advances in serologic markers and imaging modalities continue to revolutionize diagnostic approaches to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Autoimmune and antimicrobial antibodies demonstrate diagnostic value in those patients with a moderate pretest probability of disease. Emerging data also support the use of antimicrobial antibody levels as a predictive tool for small bowel complications and the need for future surgery. In addition to being a prognostic marker in patients with acute severe colitis, serum C-reactive protein has been shown to correlate with clinical, endoscopic, and radiologic measures of disease activity. Capsule endoscopy and double-balloon endoscopy allow for visualization of the entire small bowel, and double-balloon endoscopy also has the capability to treat lesions. CT enterography is beginning to replace small bowel follow-through because of its high sensitivity and specificity for disease of the small intestine. Both CT and magnetic resonance enterography detect luminal and extraluminal abnormalities, with MRI serving as a safe imaging option in cases of pregnancy and renal insufficiency. These newer modalities add to the armamentarium clinicians can use for evaluation of IBD.
authors: Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors: David H
authors: DH
authors: Bruining
authors: Edward V
authors: EV
authors: Loftus
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000032:analysis; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D053704:Capsule Endoscopy; D023881:Colonography, Computed Tomographic; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D002097:C-Reactive Protein