Current status of MR imaging in the evaluation of IBD in a pediatric population of patients

Diagnosis and follow-up of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children represent a challenging issue for pediatricians. Nowadays MR studies of the bowel represent a valid diagnostic tool especially in the diagnosis and follow-up of ileal and perianal Crohn's disease in children as well as in adults. The lack of ionizing radiation of MRI enhances the interest of clinicians with respect to CT studies of the bowel in children. Thanks to recent technical development in terms of fast MR images acquisition a reasonable image quality can be easily achieved in scholar-age children. A majority of authors prefer MR-enterography approach in children with respect to the more invasive MR-enteroclysis in the assessment of ileal Crohn's disease. Using rigorous technique of MR-enterography represents a feasible and accurate test in the diagnosis of ileal Crohn's disease. Less experience is collected on MR-colonography in pediatric IBD while MRI of the pelvis represents the most accurate non-invasive diagnostic test in the assessment of perianal Crohn's disease in children as well as in adults. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.