2. Introduction:
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a fairly common enteropathy
that occurs in one per 1000 people in developed countries.
The peak incidence of IBD is between the ages of 15 and 40 years,
with a possible second peak between 50 and 80 years.
IBD is a heterogeneous group of chronic gastrointestinal disorders
with two broad subtypes: Crohn disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis
(UC).
3. Ulcerative colitis is characterized by relapsing and remitting episodes
of inflammation limited to the colons mucosal layer. It almost
invariably involves the rectum, typically extends in a proximal, and
continues to involve other portions of the colon.
Chrons disease can involve any component of the gastrointestinal
tract from the oral cavity to the anus and is characterized by trans-
mural inflammation. Extensive involvement of the right colon and
small intestine(Terminal ileum) is more common in CD.
4. Etiopathogenesis
Highly complex and dependent on multiple factors.
Occur in individuals who have aberrant genes which makes them
abnormally susceptible to commensal bacteria which are normally
present in the colon (intestinal microbiota) thus causing inflammation
in the colonic mucosa. These interactions between the mucosa of the
colon and colon commensals are triggered by exposure to risk factors
in the environment.
6. Risk and Protective Factors for UC and CD
Ulcerative Colitis Crohns Disease
RISK FACTORS: RISK FACTORS:
Higher socioeconomic status (hygiene hypothesis),
Previous h/o enterocolitis,
NSAIDs use,
OC pills
Higher socioeconomic status (hygiene hypothesis)
NSAIDs use,
OC pills, Antibiotic use in childhood,
Smoking
PROTECTIVE FACTORS: PROTECTIVE FACTORS:
Breastfeeding,
Smoking,
Appendicectomy
Breast feeding
7. Clinical presentation
Diarrhea and rectal bleeding > 6 weeks (UC > CD).
Tenesmus (Rectal inflammation).
The severity of patient presenting with colitis can be graded as mild,
moderate and severe based on the clinical presentation and physical
signs.
11. Two groups of imaging modalities are available for the evaluation of IBD.
Imaging modalities that allow assessment of the bowel lumen, bowel wall, and
the extraintestinal abdomen, represented by the cross-sectional imaging
modalities: ultrasonography (US), CT enterography, and magnetic resonance (MR)
enterography.
Imaging modalities that evaluate exclusively the bowel lumen: small-bowel follow-
through (SBFT) and barium enema examinations.
12. SBFT and Barium Enema Examinations
ADVANTAGES
Dynamic evaluation of the whole gastrointestinal tract
Allows manual mobilization of the bowel
DISADVANTAGES
Ionizing radiation
Limited in the evaluation of the intestinal wall
It does not allow panoramic view of the abdominal cavity.
ADVANTAGES
Low cost
Can be repeated as many times as necessary
Absence of ionizing radiation or contrast medium
DISADVANTAGES
Operator dependent
Limited because of intestinal gas distribution
It does not allow panoramic view of the abdominal cavity.
US Examination
13. CT ENTEROGRAPHY
MR ENTEROGRAPHY
ADVANTAGES
- Thin section
- Widely available
- The optimal method for depicting extraluminal bowel gas and complex
abdominal fistulas
DISADVANTAGES
- Ionizing radiation
- Lower contrast resolution of the bowel wall
- Intravenous iodinated contrast material necessary
ADVANTAGES
- High contrast resolution
- Allows functional evaluations
- Can be performed without the use of intravenous contrast material
- The optimal method to evaluate perianal fistulas
DISADVANTAGES
- Higher cost and less availability
- Contraindications related to the magnetic field and paramagnetic contrast
material
14. Systemic approach
I - Inflammatory mesentery
B - Bowel wall changes
D - Disease complications
15. B
I D
1. LYMPHADENOPATHY
2. FAT CHANGES
3. ENGORGED
VESSELS
LUMINAL
1. STRICTURES
2. DILATATIONS
3. CANCER
EXTRALUMINAL
4. FISTULA
5. ABSCESS
6. PERFORATION
1. THICKENING
2. STRATIFICATION
3. PERMANENT
STRUCTURAL
CHANGES
18. FAT STRANDING:
The sharp interface between bowel and mesentery is lost due to
influx of inflammatory cells and fluid.
The enhancement of perienteric fat is used as a severity marker of
IBD in imaging-based indices (MR imaging and Sailer index), and
recent studies have shown that diffusion-weighted imaging is
equivalent for the detection of small-bowel inflammation.
Fat stranding: active inflammation marker .
20. FIBROFATTY PROLIFERATION
Fibrofatty proliferation, also called creeping fat or fat wrapping,
represents the asymmetric proliferation of fat usually along the
mesenteric border, which is almost exclusively seen in CD.
This mesenteric adipose tissue hypertrophy causes an asymmetric
displacement of mesenteric vessels and isolation of the bowel from
the surrounding bowel loops.
Fibrofatty proliferation: inactive and chronic inflammation marker.
22. ENGORGED VASA RECTA
Engorged vasa recta represents vascular dilatation on the mesenteric
side of the bowel.
This is also known as the comb sign because the engorged vessels
have a linear appearance, resembling the teeth of a hair comb.
Engorged vasa recta: active inflammation marker
24. LYMPHADENOPATHY:
Reactive mesenteric lymphadenopathy is characterized by hyperenhancing
lymph nodes that typically range from 3 to 8 mm.
Lymphadenopatathy is commonly found in patients with IBD, both CD and UC,
although it is more commonly seen with CD.
The lymph nodes may be detected more frequently at the mesenteric root,
the mesenteric periphery, or in the right lower abdominal quadrant.
When lymph nodes are multiple and larger than 10 mm, the possibility of
tumor should be considered, mainly lymphoma and carcinoma.
Mesenteric lymphadenopathy: active inflammation marker
27. HOMOGENEOUS THICKENING:
Bowel wall thickening is defined as a small bowel wall thickness greater
than 3 mm in a distended loop.
In homogeneous bowel thickening, the parietal bowel wall is enlarged
without mural stratification.
It can be asymmetric with increased thickening on the mesenteric side
of the bowel, mainly in CD.
Homogeneous thickening without enhancement may represent active
or inactive inflammation marker.
Homogeneous thickening with enhancement: active inflammation
marker
28. BILAMINAR STRATIFICATION:
Bowel wall thickening with bilaminar stratification results from the
association of mucosal hyperenhancement and submucosal
edema.
Submucosal edema is a severity marker used in imaging-based IBD
indexes. It is not specific for IBD and may be seen in other small
bowel inflammatory conditions, such as ischemia and radiation
enteritis.
Bilaminar stratification: active inflammation marker
31. FAT HALO SIGN:
The fat halo sign represents infiltration of the submucosa with fat
between the muscularis propria and the mucosa.
It may be indicative of IBD, although it has been reported in
cytoreductive therapy and graft-versus-host disease.
In the absence of clinical or radiologic evidence of IBD, the presence
of the fat halo sign may represent a normal finding.
Inactive inflammation marker.
35. COLORECTAL CANCER
Colorectal cancer has a
higher incidence in patients
with long-standing IBD.
The risk is related to the
duration and anatomic
extent of the disease.
36. PITFALL: inflammatory or malignant?
When we need to think of malignant wall thickening
When thickening of bowel wall can
be described as
Focal (<5 cm)
Irregular or asymmetric
Heterogeneous
Perienteric fat stranding
disproportionally less severe than
the degree of wall thickening
When thickening of bowel wall can be
described as
Segmental or diffuse (640 cm or >40 cm)
Regular, circumferential, symmetric
Homogeneous
Perienteric fat stranding disproportionally
more severe than the degree of wall
thickening
NEOPLASTIC CONDITION INFLAMMATORY CONDITION
39. TOXIC MEGACOLON
Toxic megacolon is a potentially lethal complication of IBD that is characterized
by total or segmental nonobstructive colonic dilatation associated with systemic
toxicity. It can occur in colitis caused by UC and CD.
The diagnosis is made by a combination of symptoms and clinical signs:
Radiographic evidence of colonic dilatation
Any three of the following: fever (>101.5 属F), tachycardia (>120 beats per
minute), leukocytosis (>10.5 x 103
/袖L), or anemia
Any one of the following: dehydration, altered mental status, electrolyte
abnormality, or hypotension
Imaging findings include: bowel wall thickening, loss of haustra, and segmental
or total colonic dilatation of at least 5 cm (CT) and 8 cm (supine radiograph
42. FISTULA
Fistula is a permanent abnormal passageway between
two organs. The clinical course is variable and
depends on the location and complexity.
Fistulas may be external (arise from the intestine and
communicate with the skin) or internal (enteroenteric
or between the bowel and adjacent organs). The most
common fistulas are enterocutaneous and perianal.
When compared with surgical findings, CT
enterography has a reported accuracy of 86% for
fistulas, with a false-negative rate of 8%.