The Value of Intra-Voxel Incoherent Motion (IVIM) in Evaluation of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Abstract Background Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory segmental bowel disorder characterized by attacks of remission and exacerbation that can significantly affect the patients’ quality of life. Hence monitoring the disease activity is crucial to achieve longer symptom free intervals which may result either from active inflammation and its complications as deep ulceration, fistulae formation and abscesses or sequelae from longstanding inflammatory process as fibrotic scarring and strictures. Aim of the Work to determine the efficacy of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) in assessing inflammatory activity in IBD. Patients and Methods The study conducted at the Diagnostic Radiology Unit; Radiology Department, Ain Shams University Hospitals. From 6 to 9 months. Convenience sample of 32 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study based on clinical suspicion, biomarkers, endoscopy and histopathological specimens referred for MR enterography Results We studied the correlation between IVIM parameters with the four known parameters used for IBD activity evaluation (Biochemical, clinical, endoscopy, and MRE) and presence of complications. We studied the correlation of the previously mentioned prameters to each other Conclusion IVIM-DWI seems to be a potential noninvasive imaging approach that could provide specific quantitative markers, such as D*, ADC and f values, to objectively assess bowel inflammation with no concern about contrast agent complications.