Brief Article
Copyright ©2009 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Nov 14, 2009; 15(42): 5300-5306
Published online Nov 14, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.5300
Small bowel MRI enteroclysis or follow through: Which is optimal?
Ian C Lawrance, Christopher J Welman, Peter Shipman, Kevin Murray
Ian C Lawrance, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Fremantle Hospital, WA 6160, Australia
Ian C Lawrance, Centre for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Fremantle Hospital, WA 6160, Australia
Christopher J Welman, Peter Shipman, Department of Radiology, Fremantle Hospital, WA 6160, Australia
Kevin Murray, Statistical Consulting Group, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Western Australia, WA 6009, Australia
Author contributions: Lawrance IC, Welman CJ and Shipman P designed, performed and analyzed the research; Murray K statistically analyzed the data.
Correspondence to: Ian C Lawrance, Professor, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, T Block, Fremantle Hospital, Alma Street, Fremantle 6059, WA 6160, Australia. ian.lawrance@uwa.edu.au
Telephone: +61-8-94316347 Fax: +61-8-94313160
Received: August 26, 2009
Revised: September 22, 2009
Accepted: September 29, 2009
Published online: November 14, 2009
Abstract

AIM: To determine if a nasojejunal tube (NJT) is required for optimal examination of enteroclysis and if patients can be examined only in the supine position.

METHODS: Data were collected from all patients undergoing small bowel (SB) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination over a 32-mo period. Patients either underwent a magnetic resonance (MR) follow-through (MRFT) or a MR enteroclysis (MRE) in the supine position. The quality of proximal and distal SB distension as well as the presence of motion artefact and image quality were assessed by 2 radiologists.

RESULTS: One hundred and fourteen MR studies were undertaken (MRFT-49, MRE-65) in 108 patients in the supine position only. Image artefact was more frequent in MRE than in MRFT (29.2% vs 18.4%), but was not statistically significant (P = 0.30). Adequate distension of the distal SB was obtained in 97.8% of MRFT examinations and in 95.4% of MRE examinations, respectively. Proximal SB distension was, however, less frequently optimal in MRFT than in MRE (P = 0.0036), particularly in patients over the age of 50 years (P = 0.0099). Image quality was good in all examinations.

CONCLUSION: All patients could be successfully imaged in the supine position. MRE and MRFT are equivalent for distal SB distension and artefact effects. Proximal SB distension is frequently less optimal in MRFT than in MRE. MRE is, therefore, the preferred MR examination method of the SB.

Keywords: Magnetic resonance enteroclysis; Magnetic resonance enterography; Magnetic resonance follow through; Artefact