The value of small bowel wall contrast enhancement after sulfur hexafluoride-filled microbubble injection to differentiate inflammatory from fibrotic strictures in patients with Crohn's disease.

We analysed the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound to differentiate inflammatory from fibrotic ileal strictures in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Twenty-eight patients (17 male and 11 female; mean age ± SD, 48.5 ± 17.17 years) with a biopsy-proven diagnosis of CD were included. In each patient, the terminal ileal loop was scanned by a convex-array probe (2-5 MHz) before and after sulphur hexafluoride-filled microbubble injection. The digital cine-clip registered after microbubble injection during the first-pass dynamic enhancement was quantified in gray-scale levels by a dedicated software through manually drawn regions-of-interest (ROIs) encompassing the anterior bowel wall. Time-intensity curves from patients with inflammatory and fibrotic ileal strictures, fitted according to the theoretical gamma variate curve, were compared. Inflammatory vs. fibrotic ileal strictures differed in the percentage of maximal enhancement (45.86 ± 5.32 vs. 37.33 ± 16.24%; p < 0.05) and area under the enhancement curve (1168.25 ± 437.65 vs. 570.47 ± 323.08; p < 0.05), whereas the difference in time to peak enhancement was found not significant (9.25 ± 4.21 vs. 12.01 ± 7.34 s; p > 0.05). The quantitative analysis of small bowel wall contrast enhancement after microbubble contrast agent injection may differentiate inflammatory from fibrotic ileal strictures in patients with CD.

Quaia E ，De Paoli L ，Stocca T ，Cabibbo B ，Casagrande F ，Cova MA ... -  《-》

The diagnostic value of small bowel wall vascularity after sulfur hexafluoride-filled microbubble injection in patients with Crohn's disease. Correlation with the therapeutic effectiveness of specific anti-inflammatory treatment.

Quaia E ，Migaleddu V ，Baratella E ，Pizzolato R ，Rossi A ，Grotto M ，Cova MA ... -  《-》

Differentiation of Inflammatory from Fibrotic Ileal Strictures among Patients with Crohn's Disease through Analysis of Time-Intensity Curves Obtained after Microbubble Contrast Agent Injection.

The aim of the study described here was to assess whether the analysis of time-intensity curves obtained after microbubble contrast agent injection could differentiate inflammatory from fibrotic ileal strictures among patients with Crohn's disease. Sixty-five consecutive patients (40 male and 25 female; mean age ± SD, 42.2 ± 12.22 y) with stricture of the terminal ileal loop from Crohn's disease were scanned after microbubble injection. Time-intensity curves were obtained from quantitative analysis, and peak enhancement, rise time, time to peak, area under the time-intensity curve (AUC), AUC during wash-in (AUCWI) and AUC during wash-out (AUCWO) were compared between patients with inflammatory strictures and patients with fibrotic strictures. Inflammatory (n = 40) and fibrotic (n = 25) strictures differed (p < 0.05) in peak enhancement, wash-in rate, wash-in perfusion index, AUC, AUCWI and AUCWO. The quantitative analysis of small bowel wall contrast enhancement after microbubble contrast agent injection may differentiate inflammatory from fibrotic ileal strictures in patients with Crohn's disease.

Quaia E ，Gennari AG ，van Beek EJR 《-》

The value of time-intensity curves obtained after microbubble contrast agent injection to discriminate responders from non-responders to anti-inflammatory medication among patients with Crohn's disease.

Quaia E ，Cabibbo B ，De Paoli L ，Toscano W ，Poillucci G ，Cova MA ... -  《-》

Differentiation of Inflammatory From Fibrotic Ileal Strictures among Patients with Crohn's Disease Based on Visual Analysis: Feasibility Study Combining Conventional B-Mode Ultrasound, Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound and Strain Elastography.

The aim of this pilot study was to assess prospectively the feasibility of conventional B-mode ultrasound (US) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) combined with real-time strain elastography (SE) in the differentiation of inflammatory from fibrotic ileal strictures among patients with Crohn's disease (CD) based on visual analysis. Twenty non-consecutive patients (15 male and 5 female; mean age ± standard deviation, 40.2 ± 10.22 y) with CD and stricture of the terminal ileal loop were scanned by conventional B-mode US and CEUS and, subsequently, by real-time SE. Two independent readers visually classified each bowel stricture as fibrotic or inflammatory based on conventional B-mode US, CEUS, SE, individually and then for all techniques combined. All techniques combined had a higher (p <0.05) sensitivity (reader 1, 9/20 [45%]; reader 2, 7/20 [35%]), specificity (reader 1, 5/20 [25%]; reader 2, 8/20 [40%]) and diagnostic accuracy (reader 1, 14/20 [70%]; reader 2, 15/20 [75%]) and higher (p <0.05) area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (reader 1, 0.953; reader 2, 0.921) than individual techniques. Inter-reader agreement was fair for conventional B-mode US (k = 0.46) and CEUS (k = 0.39), moderate for SE (k = 0.6) and fair for all techniques combined (k = 0.38). Conventional B-mode US and CEUS, in combination with SE, may improve differentiation of inflammatory from fibrotic ileal strictures among patients with CD based on visual analysis.

Quaia E ，Gennari AG ，Cova MA ，van Beek EJR ... -  《-》