Learning objectives
1-Precise the indications and the imaging protocol and technique of MR enterography.
2-Identify the advantages and drawbacks of MR enterography to evaluate small bowel disease.
3-Describe the MR imaging features of the small bowel diseases other than Crohn disease.
Background
Small Bowel affections can be asymptomatic or manifest with diarrhea, abdominal pain or anemia. Beyond Crohn disease, disorders include infection, benign or malignant neoplasms, vascular affections, obstruction and treatment induced enteritis.
Small-bowel follow-through and barium enteroclysis have been replaced by cross-sectional imaging techniques which allow a better analysis of the lumen, the mural and the extraluminal extension[1].
The advances in imaging techniques put MRI to the forefront to imaging patients with small bowel affections [2].
Findings and procedure details
Indications:
The most important indications are suspicion of specific infectious enteritis, inflammatory affections, chronic obstruction, neoplasms, follow up of polyposis,malabsoption affections and assessment of treatment induced-enteritis.
MR Enterography technique and imaging protocol:
Technique:
The examination is realized after at least 6 hours of abstinence from food and drinks. We orally administrate 1-1.5 L of2.5% mannitol solution at regular intervals over a period of 30 minutes prior to the study.
Images are acquired using 1.5 or 3T MRI scanner using a phased array surface coil in...
Conclusion
MR enterogaphy is a non-invasive imaging method that can complete or replace CT enterography to explore accurately small bowel affections beyond Crohn disease.
Personal information and conflict of interest
A. Ali; Paris/FR - nothing to disclose S. El Mouhadi; Paris/FR - nothing to disclose L. Arrive; Saint Mandé/FR - nothing to disclose A. Darragi; Tunis/TN - nothing to disclose
References
1. Amzallag-Bellenger E, Oudjit A, Ruiz A, Cadiot G, Soyer PA, Hoeffel CC. Effectiveness of MR enterography for the assessment of small-bowel diseases beyond Crohn disease. Radiographics. 2012;32(5):1423–44.
2. Melamud K, Colip C, Soto JA. MR in the small bowel: Applications, techniques, and imaging findings. Appl Radiol. 2016;45(6):24.
3. Rosa M, Ilaria C, Noemi B, Claudia M, Angelo V, Federico B, et al. Magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) and ultrasonography (US) in the study of the small bowel in Crohn’s disease: state of the art and...