Abstract
In Ulcerative Colitis (UC) the intestinal inflammatory process involves the colon only, usually sparing the small bowel. Thus, the endoscopic evaluation alone is usually sufficient to completely assess the extent and severity of the disease. However, endoscopy may be too risky or not feasible in up to 30 % of cases, especially during acute phases. Whenever endoscopy is contraindicated or incomplete, particularly during severe flares up, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be extremely valuable in the assessment of disease extent and activity, both in adult and pediatric patients. In addition, MRI may be helpful for the initial diagnosis, particularly in differentiating UC from Crohn's disease, when endoscopy is uncertain or controversial. To obtain satisfactory results it is mandatory to perform MRI with adequate patient preparation and specific techniques, including the proper choice of sequences and contrast agents. In conclusion, MRI should be considered a second-level examination in UC playing a crucial role in the assessment of disease extent and severity, particularly in hyperacute phases and whenever endoscopy may be incomplete or contraindicated.
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Maccioni, F., Mazzamurro, F. (2014). Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Ulcerative Colitis. In: Tonolini, M. (eds) Imaging of Ulcerative Colitis. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5409-7_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5409-7_5
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