title: Evaluation of the small bowel in inflammatory bowel disease.
abstract: Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that can affect the entire GI tract, and adequate visualization of the small bowel is imperative for both diagnosis and management. Magnetic resonance and computed tomography enterography have gradually replaced barium-based studies. Magnetic resonance enterography has the distinct advantage of avoiding ionizing radiation to which many patients with IBD are overexposed. Endoscopy-based techniques, including capsule endoscopy and device-assisted enteroscopy, allow direct visualization of the small bowel mucosa. Deep enteroscopy has the additional benefit of allowing sampling of the mucosa for histological analysis. Small intestine contrast ultrasound is rapidly gaining credence as an excellent, radiation-free imaging technique, but is not available in all countries. Other imaging modalities, such as positron emission tomography and leucocyte scintigraphy, continue to be studied and may have a role in specific circumstances. This review summarizes the evidence for the various techniques for evaluating the small bowel in IBD.
authors: Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Division of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA. gcullen@bidmc.harvard.edu
authors: Garret
authors: G
authors: Cullen
authors: Fergal
authors: F
authors: Donnellan
authors: Glen A
authors: GA
authors: Doherty
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Smith
authors: Adam S
authors: AS
authors: Cheifetz
mesh_terms: D053704:Capsule Endoscopy; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography