• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.149-159
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• 2015

Crohn's disease is a chronic idiopathic inflammatory disease of the intestines characterized by frequent relapse and remission. It often develops in children and adolescents, who are vulnerable to repeated exposure to ionizing radiations. Magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) is an increasingly important radiation-free imaging modality that is used to evaluate pediatric patients with Crohn's disease. MRE can evaluate extraluminal and extraintestinal abnormalities as well as the status of the bowel wall. In addition, MRE has an advantage in the evaluation of the small bowel involvement. MRE can be used for the initial diagnosis of Crohn's disease, and can aid in the assessment of disease activity and complications such as penetrating and fibrostenotic diseases. The aims of this article are to review the MRE technique for obtaining diagnostic and high-quality images and to discuss interpretations of imaging findings in patients with Crohn's disease.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.421-424
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• 2016

The purpose of this study is to evaluate an effectiveness of switching turbo direction to improve motion artifacts of small bowels and aorta. From June to October 2015, 60 patients suspected of having Crohn's disease were enrolled. The MR Enterography scans were performed using same protocol other than the turbo direction: with the Z phase encoding (group A) and with Y phase encoding (group B). Qualitative analysis of each group was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of switching turbo direction from Z to Y. As a result, the 5-point Likert scale for paired observers were $2.33{\pm}0.88$ for group A and $3.80{\pm}0.85$ for group B on dynamic contrast enhanced coronal images. In conclusion, group B is proved to be superior to group A and can lessen the motion artifacts derived from phase shifts.

• The Korean Journal of Gastroenterology
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• v.72 no.6
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• pp.277-280
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• 2018

Although small bowel the mainly occupies the most part of the gastrointestinal tract, small intestine tumors are rare, insidious in clinical presentation, and frequently represent a diagnostic and management challenge. Small bowel tumors are generally classified as epithelial, mesenchymal, lymphoproliferative, or metastatic. Familial adenomatous polyposis and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome are the most common inherited intestinal polyposis syndromes. Until the advent of capsule endoscopy (CE) and device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE) coupled with the advances in radiology, physicians had limited diagnostic examination for small bowel examination. CE and new radiologic imaging techniques have made it easier to detect small bowel tumors. DAE allows more diagnosis and deeper reach in small intestine. CT enteroclysis/CT enterography (CTE) provides information about adjacent organs as well as pictures of the intestinal lumen side. Compared to CTE, Magnetic resonance enteroclysis/enterography provides the advantage of soft tissue contrast and multiplane imaging without radiation exposure. Treatment and prognosis are tailored to each histological subtype of tumors.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.594-600
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• 2019

With improving survival of children with complex congenital heart disease (CCHD), postoperative complications, like protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) are increasingly encountered. A 3-year-old girl with surgically corrected CCHD (ventricular inversion/L-transposition of the great arteries, ventricular septal defect, pulmonary atresia, postdouble switch procedure [Rastelli and Glenn]) developed chylothoraces. She was treated with pleurodesis, thoracic duct ligation and subsequently developed chylous ascites and PLE (serum albumin ${\leq}0.9g/dL$) and was malnourished, despite nutritional rehabilitation. Lymphangioscintigraphy/single-photon emission computed tomography showed lymphatic obstruction at the cisterna chyli level. A segmental chyle leak and chylous lymphangiectasia were confirmed by gastrointestinal endoscopy, magnetic resonance (MR) enterography, and MR lymphangiography. Selective glue embolization of leaking intestinal lymphatic trunks led to prompt reversal of PLE. Serum albumin level and weight gain markedly improved and have been maintained for over 3 years. Selective interventional embolization reversed this devastating lymphatic complication of surgically corrected CCHD.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.282-290
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• 2019

Characterizing inflammation and fibrosis in Crohn's disease (CD) is necessary to guide clinical management, but distinguishing the two remains challenging. Novel ultrasound (US) techniques: contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) and shear wave elastography (SWE) offer great potential in evaluating disease activity in pediatric patients. Three patients ages 16 to 20 with known CD underwent CEUS and SWE to characterize bowel wall inflammation and fibrosis. Magnetic resonance enterography, endoscopy, or surgical pathology findings are also described when available. The patients' disease activity included acute inflammation, chronic inflammation with stricture formation, and a fibrotic surgical anastomosis without inflammation. CEUS was useful in determining the degree of inflammation, and SWE identified bowel wall fibrosis. Used together these techniques allow for better characterization of the degree of fibrosis and inflammation in bowel strictures. With further validation CEUS and SWE may allow for improved characterization of bowel strictures and disease flares in pediatric patients suffering from CD.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.19-29
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• 2021

Purpose: To assess parent perspectives of the current and potential future tests for their child with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: New Zealand parents of a child with IBD were invited to complete an anonymous online survey. Experiences relating to their child's blood or faecal tests, medical imaging (abdominal ultrasound [US], abdominal computerised tomography [CT] and magnetic resonance enterography) and colonoscopy were collected. Perceived attitudes to potential future testing of urine, saliva, and breath, were sought. Results: Twenty-eight parents, 93% female completed the survey, and 86% were aged between 35 and 54 years. Baseline information was provided by parents for 27 of 28 children, 70.3% had Crohn's disease with a mean disease duration of 2.67 years. Blood tests were the most requested and completed tests, while CT was the least ordered and most refused test. Colonoscopy was rated as the least comfortable and generated the most worry. Explanation of test significantly improved parent's levels of understanding when their child had blood, faecal, imaging (US) or colonoscopy tests. Providing an explanation, test invasiveness and the impact of the blood results may have on their child's treatment significantly improved parents' comfort levels. However, explanation of colonoscopy generated a significant parental concerns. Saliva, urine and blood tests were chosen as the most preferred disease monitoring tests. Conclusion: Parents preferred any tests less invasive than colonoscopy for monitoring their child's IBD. Although providing explanation of their child's tests enhanced parents' understanding, it can also affect parents' levels of concern and comfort.