The aim of this paper is to describe the usefulness of multiparametric US in the diagnosis and subsequent follow-up of a case of right-side ischemic colitis and to present a review of the data reported in the literature. Ischemic colitis is frequently diagnosed in the field of gastroenterology. Diagnosis is usually based on the outcome of endoscopy and histological examination, and in case of right-side ischemic colitis also on the results of contrast-enhanced CT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStrain elastography is a recently developed ultrasound method that seems to contribute to the diagnosis and monitoring of inflammatory bowel diseases. This pictorial essay aims to present the feasibility of strain elastography in clinical practice by comparing visual observation and semiquantitative parameters with endoscopic or radiological images in some common cases of Crohn's disease. In our opinion, strain elastography with visual observation is easily performed in connection with B-mode ultrasound and color Doppler imaging and may provide relevant information.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this Pictorial Essay is to evaluate the feasibility in the clinical practice of CEUS destruction/replenishment method and time intensity curve (TIC) analysis using the available software in patients with Crohn's disease. The ultrasound (US) procedure using contrast agent is briefly described, elaboration and analysis of the US sequences are explained in detail, and some advantages and disadvantages of the method are highlighted. The Authors suggest that the destruction/replenishment method is useful and time-saving in Crohn's disease if multiple measurements are required on intestinal portions adjacent to each other or in different locations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUltrasound (US) is the first-line investigation in patients with abdominal symptoms and it has a role in the diagnosis and monitoring of inflammatory bowel diseases. Strain elastography (SE) is a US method for estimating tissue elasticity. This method is still not routinely used in clinical practice, although it is suggested by the EFSUMB Guidelines for the characterization of intestinal stenosis in Crohn's disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) and strain elastography (SE) are diagnostic imaging methods, which are still not routinely used in the clinical management of inflammatory bowel diseases. However, there are studies in the literature reporting on the use of both CEUS and SE in patients with bowel obstruction due to Crohn's disease, documenting the usefulness of these two methods in the differentiation between inflammation and fibrosis affecting the bowel wall. The aim of this case report is to evaluate the usefulness of CEUS and SE performed in a patient with Crohn's disease, who was admitted to hospital with bowel obstruction due to terminal ileal stricture and submitted to ileocecal resection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFReal-time strain elastography is not routinely performed in clinical practice for characterizing gastrointestinal tract diseases, and there are few studies in the literature on the subject. The recent EFSUMB guidelines suggest the use of this method in the diagnosis of neoplastic lesions and in the characterization of bowel strictures in patients with Crohn's disease. The purpose of this pictorial essay is to evaluate the feasibility of strain elastography in some pathologies of the colon frequently encountered in daily clinical practice and to compare elastography images with corresponding endoscopic and radiographic images.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAcute mesenteric ischemia is a serious condition associated with high mortality. Multislice CT and magnetic resonance angiography have proved accurate in diagnosing this pathology, which requires a prompt diagnosis to start appropriate therapy. We report the case of an 87-year-old woman with acute mesenteric ischemia, in whom contrast-enhanced sonography visualized the occluded superior mesenteric artery and the infarcted portion of the intestine.
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