Quantitative analysis of dynamic contrast enhanced MRI for assessment of bowel inflammation in Crohn's disease pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of quantitative analysis of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) data in the detection of bowel inflammation in patients with Crohn's disease.


METHODS
Eleven patients who underwent magnetic resonance enterography for known or suspected Crohn's disease and had colonoscopy or surgery within 4 weeks of imaging were included in this study. DCE-MRI data were acquired using a 1.5-T scanner with temporal resolution of 5 to 12 seconds for approximately 5 to 7 minutes. A two-compartment pharmacokinetic model was used to analyze the data to obtain the volume transfer constant (K(trans)) and the extravascular extracellular space (v(e)). Additionally, semiquantitative parameters were derived using an empirical mathematical model to fit the contrast concentration curves. Endoscopic, surgical, and pathologic results were compared to the MRI data. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis was performed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the parameters in the task of distinguishing normal tissue from inflammation.


RESULTS
A total of 51 bowel segments (19 with inflammation, 32 normal) were included in the analyses. Inflamed bowel segments had faster K(trans) values, larger v(e) values, increased contrast uptake, larger initial areas under the contrast concentration curve, and steeper initial enhancement slopes than normal bowel segments (P < .05). The areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curve for these parameters ranged from 0.70 to 0.86.


CONCLUSIONS
These preliminary results demonstrate that the quantitative analysis of DCE-MRI data is possible for the assessment of bowel inflammation in patients with Crohn's disease. Future studies need be performed on larger numbers of patients to correlate the severity and type of inflammation with kinetic parameters.
Oto
Aytekin
A
Department of Radiology, University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Avenue, MC 2026, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. aoto@radiology.bsd.uchicago.edu
Fan
Xiaobing
X
Mustafi
Devkumar
D
Jansen
Sanaz A
SA
Karczmar
Gregory S
GS
Rubin
David T
DT
Kayhan
Arda
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D003287:Contrast Media; C064925:gadodiamide; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA