MR Enterography for the Evaluation of Small-Bowel Inflammation in Crohn Disease by Using Diffusion-weighted Imaging without Intravenous Contrast Material: A Prospective Noninferiority Study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether magnetic resonance (MR) enterography performed with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) without intravenous contrast material is noninferior to contrast material-enhanced (CE) MR enterography for the evaluation of small-bowel inflammation in Crohn disease.


METHODS
Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained for this prospective noninferiority study. Fifty consecutive adults suspected of having Crohn disease underwent clinical assessment, MR enterography, and ileocolonoscopy within 1 week. MR enterography included conventional imaging and DWI (b = 900 sec/mm(2)). In 44 patients with Crohn disease, 171 small-bowel segments that were generally well distended and showed a wide range of findings, from normalcy to severe inflammation (34 men, 10 women; mean age ± standard deviation, 26.9 years ± 6.1), were selected for analysis. Image sets consisting of (a) T2-weighted sequences with DWI and (b) T2-weighted sequences with CE T1-weighted sequences were reviewed by using a crossover design with blinding and randomization. Statistical analyses included noninferiority testing regarding proportional agreement between DWI and CE MR enterography for the identification of bowel inflammation with a noninferiority margin of 80%, correlation between DWI and CE MR enterography scores of bowel inflammation severity, and comparison of accuracy between DWI and CE MR enterography for the diagnosis of terminal ileal inflammation by using endoscopic findings as the reference standard.


RESULTS
The agreement between DWI and CE MR enterography for the identification of bowel inflammation was 91.8% (157 of 171 segments; one-sided 95% confidence interval: ≥88.4%). The correlation coefficient between DWI and CE MR enterography scores was 0.937 (P < .001). DWI and CE MR enterography did not differ significantly regarding the sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of terminal ileal inflammation (P > .999). DWI and CE MR enterography concurred in the diagnosis of penetrating complications in five of eight segments.


CONCLUSIONS
DWI MR enterography was noninferior to CE MR enterography for the evaluation of inflammation in Crohn disease in generally well-distended small bowel, except for the diagnosis of penetration.
From the Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology (N.S., Seong H. Park, S.Y.K., H.K.H.), Department of Gastroenterology (K.J.K., S.K.Y., B.D.Y., Sang H. Park), and Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (S.B.), University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Radiology, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea (B.K.K.); Department of Radiology, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea (Y.L.); and Biostatistics Collaboration Unit, Gangnam Medical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea (K.H.).
Nieun
N
Seo
From the Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology (N.S., Seong H. Park, S.Y.K., H.K.H.), Department of Gastroenterology (K.J.K., S.K.Y., B.D.Y., Sang H. Park), and Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (S.B.), University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Radiology, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea (B.K.K.); Department of Radiology, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea (Y.L.); and Biostatistics Collaboration Unit, Gangnam Medical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea (K.H.).
Seong Ho
SH
Park
From the Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology (N.S., Seong H. Park, S.Y.K., H.K.H.), Department of Gastroenterology (K.J.K., S.K.Y., B.D.Y., Sang H. Park), and Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (S.B.), University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Radiology, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea (B.K.K.); Department of Radiology, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea (Y.L.); and Biostatistics Collaboration Unit, Gangnam Medical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea (K.H.).
Kyung-Jo
KJ
Kim
From the Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology (N.S., Seong H. Park, S.Y.K., H.K.H.), Department of Gastroenterology (K.J.K., S.K.Y., B.D.Y., Sang H. Park), and Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (S.B.), University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Radiology, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea (B.K.K.); Department of Radiology, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea (Y.L.); and Biostatistics Collaboration Unit, Gangnam Medical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea (K.H.).
Bo-Kyeong
BK
Kang
From the Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology (N.S., Seong H. Park, S.Y.K., H.K.H.), Department of Gastroenterology (K.J.K., S.K.Y., B.D.Y., Sang H. Park), and Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (S.B.), University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Radiology, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea (B.K.K.); Department of Radiology, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea (Y.L.); and Biostatistics Collaboration Unit, Gangnam Medical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea (K.H.).
Yedaun
Y
Lee
From the Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology (N.S., Seong H. Park, S.Y.K., H.K.H.), Department of Gastroenterology (K.J.K., S.K.Y., B.D.Y., Sang H. Park), and Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (S.B.), University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Radiology, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea (B.K.K.); Department of Radiology, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea (Y.L.); and Biostatistics Collaboration Unit, Gangnam Medical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea (K.H.).
Suk-Kyun
SK
Yang
From the Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology (N.S., Seong H. Park, S.Y.K., H.K.H.), Department of Gastroenterology (K.J.K., S.K.Y., B.D.Y., Sang H. Park), and Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (S.B.), University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Radiology, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea (B.K.K.); Department of Radiology, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea (Y.L.); and Biostatistics Collaboration Unit, Gangnam Medical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea (K.H.).
Byong Duk
BD
Ye
From the Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology (N.S., Seong H. Park, S.Y.K., H.K.H.), Department of Gastroenterology (K.J.K., S.K.Y., B.D.Y., Sang H. Park), and Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (S.B.), University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Radiology, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea (B.K.K.); Department of Radiology, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea (Y.L.); and Biostatistics Collaboration Unit, Gangnam Medical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea (K.H.).
Sang Hyoung
SH
Park
From the Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology (N.S., Seong H. Park, S.Y.K., H.K.H.), Department of Gastroenterology (K.J.K., S.K.Y., B.D.Y., Sang H. Park), and Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (S.B.), University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Radiology, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea (B.K.K.); Department of Radiology, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea (Y.L.); and Biostatistics Collaboration Unit, Gangnam Medical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea (K.H.).
So Yeon
SY
Kim
From the Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology (N.S., Seong H. Park, S.Y.K., H.K.H.), Department of Gastroenterology (K.J.K., S.K.Y., B.D.Y., Sang H. Park), and Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (S.B.), University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Radiology, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea (B.K.K.); Department of Radiology, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea (Y.L.); and Biostatistics Collaboration Unit, Gangnam Medical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea (K.H.).
Seunghee
S
Baek
From the Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology (N.S., Seong H. Park, S.Y.K., H.K.H.), Department of Gastroenterology (K.J.K., S.K.Y., B.D.Y., Sang H. Park), and Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (S.B.), University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Radiology, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea (B.K.K.); Department of Radiology, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea (Y.L.); and Biostatistics Collaboration Unit, Gangnam Medical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea (K.H.).
Kyunghwa
K
Han
From the Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology (N.S., Seong H. Park, S.Y.K., H.K.H.), Department of Gastroenterology (K.J.K., S.K.Y., B.D.Y., Sang H. Park), and Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (S.B.), University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Radiology, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea (B.K.K.); Department of Radiology, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, South Korea (Y.L.); and Biostatistics Collaboration Unit, Gangnam Medical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea (K.H.).
Hyun Kwon
HK
Ha
D000328:Adult; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index