[Diagnostic value of CT enterography in patients with Crohn's disease].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the diagnostic value of CT enterography in patients with Crohn's disease.


METHODS
Multi-detector CT enterography and small bowel follow-through were performed in 30 patients with Crohn's disease. The locations and characteristics of the intestinal and extra-intestinal lesions detected by both two techniques were compared.


RESULTS
Skip lesions were diagnosed in 16 patients (53.3%) by CT enterography and in 9 patients (30%) by small bowel follow-through (P = 0.039). Mucosal changes were detected in 29 patients (96.7%) by CT enterography and in 18 patients (60%) by small bowel follow-through (P = 0.001). Among 11 patients whose small bowel follow-through did not show abnormal mucosal changes, 8 patients underwent endoscopy, which showed superficial ulcer with or without mucosal congestion and edema in 5 patients, mucosal congestion and edema in 2 patients, and mucosal erosion in 1 patient. CT enterography and small bowel follow-through consistently depicted fistula in 3 patients and had no significant difference in diagnosing intestinal stenosis. CT enterography also exclusively detected abdominal abscess in one patient.


CONCLUSIONS
CT enterography is superior to small bowel follow-through in diagnosing the disease location and characteristics of Crohn's disease; furthermore, it can detect more extra-intestinal lesions. CT enterography has potential to replace small bowel follow-through as the imaging examination of choice for patients with Crohn's disease.
Shi
Ji-Hua
JH
Department of Gastroenterology, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China.
Liu
Wei
W
Lu
Xing-Hua
XH
Pan
Wei-Dong
WD
Wang
Yun
Y
Wu
Xi
X
Wen
Xiao-Heng
XH
Qin
Ming-Wei
MW
D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed