Time-Dependent Diffusion MRI for Quantitative Microstructural Mapping of Intestinal Fibrosis in Patient with Crohn’s disease

Motivation: Microstructural characteristics of intestinal fibrosis is a crucial determinant impacting the selection of therapeutic strategies and prognosis of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). Goal(s): To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of time-dependent diffusion MRI (TD-dMRI) based microstructural mapping for noninvasive characterization of intestinal fibrosis in intestinal strictures in CD. Approach: TD-dMRI was performed in consecutive CD patients scheduled for surgery. TD-dMRI-based microstructural parameters acquired were compared with conventional apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and verified by histopathogical measures. Results: Multiparametric TD-dMRI-based microstructural mapping correlates with pathological findings and demonstrates promise for characterizing intestinal fibrosis in CD. Impact: Time-dependent diffusion MRI-based microstructural mapping demonstrates promise for noninvasively characterizing intestinal fibrosis of CD, with high accuracy against histopathologic standard, thus guiding treatment and predicting clinical outcome.