Ultrasonographic detection and assessment of the severity of Crohn's disease recurrence after ileal resection.

Background: Recurrence and severity of Crohn's disease mucosal lesions after "curative" ileal resection is assessed at endoscopy. Intramural lesions can be detected as increased wall thickness at Small Intestine Contrast Ultrasonography (SICUS).

Aims: To assess after ileal resection whether: 1) SICUS detects recurrence of Crohn's disease lesions, 2) the intestinal wall thickness measured at the level of ileo-colonic anastomosis predicts the severity of endoscopic lesions, 3) the extension of intramural lesions of the neo-terminal ileum is useful for grading severity of the recurrence, 4) the combined measures of wall thickness of the ileo-colonic anastomosis and of the extension of intramural lesions at level of the neo-terminal ileum may predict the endoscopic Rutgeerts score

Methods: Fifty eight Crohn's disease patients (M 37, age range 19-75 yrs) were prospectively submitted at 6-12 months intervals after surgery to endoscopy and SICUS for a total of 111 observations.

Effect of infliximab on small bowel stenoses in patients with Crohn's disease.

Aim: To assess prospectively small bowel stenoses in Crohn's disease (CD) patients treated with infliximab using Small Intestine Contrast Ultrasonography (SICUS).

Methods: Twenty patients (M 12, age, 42.7 +/- 11.