Adult celiac disease: What is the role of MRI?

✍ Scribed by Ernesto Tomei; Richard C. Semelka; Larissa Braga; Andrea Laghi; Pasquale Paolantonio; Mario Marini; Roberto Passariello; Marco Di Tola; Luigi Sabbatella; Antonio Picarelli

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 404 KB
• Volume: 24
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1053-1807
• DOI: 10.1002/jmri.20664

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the ability of MRI to identify intra‐ and extraintestinal findings of celiac disease in an adult population.

Materials and Methods

Forty‐one subjects (18 men and 23 women; mean age = 41.3 years; 31 with biopsy‐proven celiac disease, and 10 healthy volunteers) underwent MRI of the small bowel. MR studies were performed on a 1.5‐T magnet using T2‐weighted half‐Fourier single‐shot turbo spin‐echo (HASTE) and true fast imaging in steady‐state precession (True‐FISP) sequences. The MR features and sensitivity, and the specificity and accuracy of some of these features are described.

Results

In the 31 celiac patients, MRI showed bowel dilatation in 61.3% (N = 19), increased number of ileal folds in 48.4% (N = 15), reversed fold pattern abnormality in 38.7% (N = 12), increased wall thickness in 16.1% (N = 5), duodenal stenosis in 6.5% (N = 2), intussusception in 12.9% (N = 4), mesenteric lymphadenopathy in 41.9% (N = 13), mesenteric vascular changes in 22.6% (N = 7), ascites in 6.5% (N = 2), and no abnormalities in 12.9% (N = 4). The volunteers had unremarkable exams. The overall specificity and accuracy were 100%, and sensitivity was 79% and 75% for increased number of ileal folders and reversed fold pattern abnormality, respectively.

Conclusion

MRI is able to demonstrate intra‐ and extraintestinal features that may lead to the diagnosis of celiac disease in adults. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.