Impact of Oral Contrast Agents on Terminal Ileum Viscoelastic Properties Assessed by MR Enterography and MR Elastography

Motivation: Although the feasibility of intestinal MR elastography has recently been demonstrated, the influence of bowel distension through oral contrast agents on gut viscoelastic properties remains elusive. Goal(s): To investigate the influence of oral contrast agent-based bowel distension on the viscoelastic properties of the gut in healthy volunteers. Approach: Healthy volunteers were scanned using MR enterography and MR elastography before and after the ingestion of 1000 ml of 2 % mannitol solution as oral contrast agent. Results: Our results suggest that the bowel distension in MR enterography has no systematic impact on viscoelastic tissue properties of the terminal ileum. Impact: This study suggests that bowel distension in MR enterography has no systematic impact on the assessment of viscoelastic tissue properties of the terminal ileum. Consequently, future studies investigating inflammatory bowel disease using intestinal MR elastography do not need to account for potential biases related to pre-stretched bowel walls after oral ingestion of contrast agents.