title: Role of bowel ultrasound as a predictor of surgical recurrence of Crohn's disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Crohn's disease natural history, about 80% of the patients require surgery, which is not curative: unfortunately, the disease recurs in many patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of intestinal ultrasound to predict the risk of post-operative surgical recurrence in Crohn's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 196 patients, with ileal or ileocolonic Crohn's disease, undergoing intestinal resection, were retrospectively enrolled. All patients underwent bowel ultrasonography 6-15 months after resection. Wall thickness at the anastomosis level was measured, and thickening >3 mm was evaluated as risk factor of long-term need for reoperation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients who have a bowel wall thickness >3 mm have an risk ratio (RR) of surgical recurrence = 2.1 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.12-3.74] higher than those with a thickness of ≤3 mm. The absolute incidence of new surgical intervention is 13% in patients with thickness of 3 mm, 28% in patients with thickness >3 mm, 29,1% with thickness >4 mm, 34% with thickness >5 mm, and 40% with thickness >6 mm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bowel wall thickness >3 mm at ultrasound may be a non-invasive predictor of early surgical recurrence after ileo-colonic resection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Radiologia 5, AOU S. Giovanni Battista, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cammarota
authors.forename: Davide Giuseppe
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Ribaldone
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Resegotti
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Repici
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Danese
authors.forename: Gionata
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fiorino
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarno
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Robotti
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Debani
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bonenti
authors.forename: Rinaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pellicano
authors.forename: Alida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andrealli
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sapone
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simondi
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bresso
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Astegiano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003106:Colon / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007082:Ileum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult