Value of transabdominal bowel ultrasonography and splanchic vascular parameters in the evaluation of inflammatory bowel disease

Manal Kamel, Magdy El-Serafy, Hussein Attia, Hanan Abdeel-Haleem, Naglaa Zayed, Maha Hasab-Allah, Zakaria Salama

Endemic Medicine Department, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Radiology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.

DOI: 10.4236/ojgas.2013.32017                

Abstract

Background: Although non-specific, transabdominal bowel ultrasonography, in real time or in color Doppler; has been beneficial in evaluating the location, extent and activity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Aim: To assess the potential role of bowel transabdominal bowel ultrasonography in the diagnosis and follow-up of IBD. Patients and Methods: A cohort of 30 adults histologically-proven active IBD patients; ulcerative colitis (UC) (n = 20), Crohn’s disease (CD) (n = 10) were prospectively assessed in addition to 20 non-IBD participants representing the control group. All participants underwent the full colonoscopy in addition to real time and color Doppler ultrasonography. Bowel wall thickness, peri-enteric changes, and hemodynamic changes in the portal vein and mesenteric arteries were recorded at initial enrollment and after complete remission in 10 IBD patients. Results: Bowel wall was significantly thickened in all active IBD patients with a significant decrease after disease quiescence in CD patients; p value < 0.01. At initial evaluation, hypervascularization was evident in both mesenteric arteries among patients with active pancolitis and CD with significant differences; p value was <0.001 after disease quiescence. The diagnostic accuracy of UC and CD lesions ranged from 70% - 85%, 86% - 100% respectively. Conclusion: Transabdominal bowel ultrasonography supplemented with color Doppler study may represent a potential tool in the diagnosis, assessment of disease activity as well as follow-up of IBD.

Keywords

Bowel Ultrasonography-Inflammatory Bowel Disease; Ulcerative Colitis; Crohn’s Disease; Splanchnic Vessels; Doppler

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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