Use of Imaging Techniques in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases That Minimize Radiation Exposure

Abstract

The use of imaging in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has grown exponentially in the last few years. This has raised concerns about the risk of high cumulative level of radiation exposure from medical imaging in IBD patients during their lifetime, especially when the disease begins in pediatric age. Physicians caring for IBD children should be aware of the malignant potential of ionizing radiation and of the availability of alternative radiation-free techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography (US), in order to use them whenever possible. This review will focus on the value of US and MRI in pediatric IBD.