Assessing pediatric ileocolonic Crohn's disease activity based on global MR enterography scores.
OBJECTIVE
This study was aimed at correlating a magnetic resonance index of activity (MaRIA) and a magnetic resonance enterography global score (MEGS) with activity indexes in a paediatric population with Crohn's disease (CD).


METHODS
This retrospective study included 32 paediatric patients (median age 14.5 years, 18 male) with proven CD who underwent magnetic resonance enterography (MRE). A correlation analysis was performed on the MRE-based scores, the simplified endoscopic score for CD (SES-CD), the paediatric Crohn's disease activity index (PCDAI), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Based on PCDAI, comparison of both global MaRIA and MEGS was made between patients with mild and moderate/severe disease activity.


RESULTS
Global MaRIA correlated with SES-CD (r = 0.70, p = 0.001) and PCDAI (r = 0.42, p = 0.016). MEGS correlated with PCDAI (r = 0.46, p = 0.007) and CRP levels (r = 0.35, p = 0.046). MEGS differed significantly (p = 0.027) between patients grouped by clinical disease severity.


CONCLUSIONS
MRE-based global scores correlated with clinical indexes of CD activity. Therefore, they represent a potential useful tool to predict CD activity and severity, as well as a possible promising alternative to endoscopy, to monitor paediatric patients with CD during their follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
• MRE is widely used to for accurate assessment of CD. • Global MaRIA and MEGS have been suggested as indicators of CD activity. • Paediatric studies comparing MRE-based global scores with clinical CD activity are lacking. • Such scores can serve as predictors of CD activity/severity in paediatric patients. • MRE offers an alternative to clinical score/endoscopy for paediatric CD monitoring.
Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padova, Italy. fabio.pomerri@unipd.it.
Fabio
F
Pomerri
Radiology Unit, S. Maria della Misericordia, Rovigo Hospital, Rovigo, Italy.
Faise
F
Al Bunni
Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
Monica
M
Zuliani
Department of Women and Child Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Graziella
G
Guariso
Department of Women and Child Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Marco
M
Gasparetto
Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
Benedetta
B
Giorgi
Department of Women and Child Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Mara
M
Cananzi
Department of Medicine-DIMED, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padova, Italy.
Pier Carlo
PC
Muzzio
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003106:Colon / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007082:Ileum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
Crohn’s disease; Disease activity; Disease severity; Magnetic resonance enterography; Paediatrics