Comparison of US Strain Elastography and Entero-MRI to Typify the Mesenteric and Bowel Wall Changes during Crohn’s Disease: A Pilot Study

• Main Authors: Giuseppe Lo Re, Dario Picone, Federica Vernuccio, Laura Scopelliti, Ambra Di Piazza, Chiara Tudisca, Salvatore Serraino, Giambattista Privitera, Federico Midiri, Sergio Salerno, Massimo Midiri, Tommaso Vincenzo Bartolotta, Roberto Lagalla
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi Limited 2017-01-01
• Series: BioMed Research International
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/4257987

Purpose. To evaluate and compare the mesenteric and bowel wall changes during Crohn’s disease (CD) on ultrasonography (US) Strain Elastography (SE) and Enterography Magnetic Resonance Imaging (E-MRI). Methods. From July 2014 to September 2016, 35 patients with ileocolonoscopy diagnosis of CD were prospectively examined with E-MRI and in the same time with US and SE. Results. A total of 41 affected bowel segments and 35 unaffected bowel segments in 35 patients were evaluated. US-SE color-scale coding showed a blue color pattern in the fibrotic mesentery and bowel wall in 15 patients and a green color pattern in the edematous ones in 20 patients. The signal of the bowel wall and mesenteric fat was iso/hypointense on T2-weighted sequence in the fibrotic pattern (23/35 and 12/35 patients) and hyperintense in the edematous pattern (12/35 and 23/35 patients). Mean ADC values were, respectively, 2,58±0,33 × 10−3 for the fibrotic mesentery and 2,14±0,28 × 10−3 for edematous one. There was a statistical correlation between US-SE color-scale and T2 signal intensity and between the US-SE color-scale and ADC maps. Conclusions. US-SE, ADC, and signal intensity on T2-weighted sequences on MR prove to be useful tools for the evaluation of CD pattern.