Clin Endosc.  2012 Sep;45(3):263-268.

A Look into the Small Bowel in Crohn's Disease

• Park SJ
• Kim WH

Abstract

Crohn's disease (CD) is an inflammatory bowel disease that can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract, with the small bowel (SB) being the most commonly affected site. In some patients, refractory inflammation or chronic strictures of the SB are responsible for a debilitating course of the disease that might lead to severely reduced quality of life. Therefore, SB imaging is a crucial element in diagnosing and/or managing SB CD, and continues to evolve because of technologic advances. SB endoscopy (capsule endoscopy and device-assisted enteroscopy) and cross-sectional radiologic imaging (computed tomography enterography and magnetic resonance enterography) have become key players to diagnose and/or manage CD. In everyday practice, the choice of the imaging modalities is based on the presence and availability of the techniques and of experienced operators in each institute, clinical usefulness, safety, and cost. Here, SB endoscopy and radiologic imaging in suspected or known CD patients will be addressed and discussed.

Keyword

Crohn disease; Small bowel capsule endoscopy; Device-assisted enteroscopy; Computed tomography enterography; Magnetic resonance enterography

MeSH Terms

Constriction, Pathologic
Crohn Disease
Endoscopy
Gastrointestinal Tract
Humans
Inflammation
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Quality of Life

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