Magnetic Resonance Enterography in the Study of Patients With Crohn's Disease: Which Findings Are More Likely to Change Patient Management?

The Spectrum of Magnetic Resonance Enterography Findings and the Role of Diffusion-Weighted Imaging in Patients with Active Crohn's Disease

Background

The goal of this study was to evaluate magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) findings and assess the role of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in patients suffering from active Crohn's disease.

Methods

This retrospective study included a total number of 76 patients diagnosed with active Crohn's disease, as established by the Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI). The study consisted of 30 women and 46 men, ranging in age from 13 to 72 years. All participants underwent MRE with DWI sequences. The study was conducted at Imam Khomeini hospital in Tehran between 2013 and 2018. The imaging modality utilized for the study included a 3-T SIGNA Excite MRE machine and a Siemens Magnetom 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine.

Results

Bowel wall restriction was observed in less than half of the patients, and no significant correlation was found with extramural findings such as mesenteric edema. The study did not reveal any meaningful association between diffusion restriction and specific mural enhancement patterns, mesenteric lymphadenopathy with or without enhancement, or the length of the affected segments (P>0.05). The most common findings observed in MRI were ileum thickness in 72.4% of patients, mesenteric lymphadenopathy without enhancement in 46.1%, ileocecal thickness in 42.1%, DWI findings in 42.1%, the presence of a comb sign in 36.8%, and jejunum thickness in 30.3% of patients.

Conclusion

MRE findings are useful in the evaluation of Crohn's disease activity.

Usefulness of magnetic resonance enterography in the clinical decision-making process for patients with inflammatory bowel disease

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) diagnosis on clinical decision-making regarding treatment choice and maintenance of treatment over time in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

METHODS

A cohort of patients who underwent MRE for IBD assessment between 2011 and 2014 was analyzed. From clinical records, we retrospectively retrieved their demographic data and clinical data on their IBD at the time of MRE, the results of MRE and the patient's clinical course. Medical management decisions made during the three months following MRE and at the 15-month follow-up were assessed.

RESULTS

In total, 474 MREs were reviewed. In the first three-month period, MRE results led to changes in the medical management of 266 patients (56.1%). Of those, maintenance therapy was altered in 140 patients (68.3%) (90.7% step-up and 9.3% top-down strategy), 65 (24.4%) were prescribed a course of steroids and 61 (22.9%) underwent surgery. MRE confirmed a CD diagnosis in 14/41 patients (34.1%) previously diagnosed with indeterminate colitis or ulcerative colitis and in 4/18 patients (22.2%) with suspected IBD. At the 15-month follow-up, treatment remained unchanged in 289 patients (65.8%).

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that MRE is a diagnostic tool that provides valid information for the clinical-decision making process for patients with CD.

Changes in the Management of Patients with Crohn's Disease Based on Magnetic Resonance Enterography Patterns

Background and Aims

Magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) has become an important modality of radiological imaging in the evaluation of Crohn's disease (CD). The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of MRE in the assessment of disease activity and abdominal complications and in the making of therapeutic decisions for patients with CD.

Methods

In a cross-sectional retrospective study, we selected 74 patients with CD who underwent MRE and ileocolonoscopy with an interval between the two exams of up to 30 days between January 2011 and December 2017. We assessed the parameters of the images obtained by MRE and investigated the agreement with the level of disease activity and complications determined by a clinical evaluation, inflammatory biomarkers, and endoscopy, as well as the resulting changes in medical and surgical management.

Results

Changes in medical management were detected in 41.9% of patients. Significant changes in medical decisions were observed in individuals with a purely penetrating (P = .012) or a mixed (P = .024) MRE pattern. Patients with normal MRE patterns had a correlation with unchanged medical decisions (P = .001). There were statistically significant agreements between the absence of inflammatory criteria on MRE and remission according to the Harvey and Bradshaw index (HBI) (P = .037), the presence of inflammatory criteria on MRE and positive results for calprotectin (P = .005), and penetrating criteria on MRE and the scoring endoscopic system for Crohn's disease (SES-CD), indicating active disease (P = .048). Finally, there was significant agreement between the presence of fibrostenotic criteria and a long disease duration (P = .027).

Conclusion

MRE discloses disease activity and complications not apparent with other modalities and results in changes in therapeutic decisions. In addition to being used for diagnosis, MRE should be routinely used in the follow-up of CD patients.