MR imaging of the small bowel using polyethylene glycol solution as an oral contrast agent in adults and children with celiac disease: preliminary observations.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of our report is to describe morphologic abnormalities of the small bowel in a population of patients with known celiac disease using MR imaging with polyethylene glycol solution as an oral contrast agent. CONCLUSION. Polyethylene glycol-enhanced MR imaging is a noninvasive (no ionizing radiation is used), feasible, and reproducible imaging technique in both adult and pediatric populations. Findings on polyethylene glycol-enhanced MR imaging, similar to those of conventional barium studies, may suggest a diagnosis of celiac disease because the technique can not only reveal intestinal involvement but also show extraintestinal findings.