Role of Ultrasound in Diagnosis of IBD

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a relapsing and remitting lifelong illness and over 3 million people have inflammatory bowel disease worldwide. The diagnosis of IBD involves a detailed history and physical exam, laboratory testing, imaging, and endoscopic evaluation. Serum blood tests, fecal biomarkers, and imaging are important noninvasive tools to distinguish IBD from non-inflammatory conditions with similar clinical presentations. Imaging can be especially helpful in the screening and evaluation of possible IBD to rule out other abdominal pathology. Low cost, limited radiation, and feasibility are particularly important during the screening and evaluation of patients with possible IBD. Bowel ultrasound has many advantages including low cost, lack of ionizing radiation, dynamic real-time bowel assessment, and no need for sedation. The potential disadvantage of bowel ultrasound is the need for a skilled operator to provide optimal sensitivity and imaging, which may not be available in all centers. The aim of study was to evaluate the role of intestinal ultrasound in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease.