MR colonography in inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

MR colonography has a high diagnostic accuracy for detecting Crohn disease (CD) activity and determining the extent and severity of lesions. In the setting of stricturing CD, MR colonography can provide a detailed map of the lesions, which is useful for clinical decision making. MR colonography can be used as an alternative to conventional colonoscopy in the setting of CD, or as a complementary tool in selected patients with ulcerative colitis. This article reviews the spectrum of MR colonography findings in colonic inflammatory bowel disease and discusses the potential applications and limitations of MR colonography.

Keywords: Colonoscopy; Crohn disease; Disease activity; Inflammatory bowel disease; Magnetic resonance colonography; Ulcerative colitis.