Background and aims Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) is an accurate, patient-centered monitoring tool that objectively evaluates Crohn’s disease (CD) activity. However, no current, widely accepted, reproducible activity index exists to facilitate consistent IUS identification of inflammatory activity. The aim of this study is to identify key parameters of CD inflammation on IUS, evaluate their reliability and develop an IUS index reflecting segmental activity. Methods There were 3 phases: 1) expert consensus Delphi method to derive measures of IUS activity; 2) an initial, multi-expert case acquisition and expert-interpretation of 20 blinded cases to measure inter-rater reliability for individual measures; 3) refinement of case acquisition and interpretation by 12 international experts, with 30 blinded case reads with reliability assessment and development of a segmental activity score. Results Delphi Consensus: Eleven experts representing 7 countries identified four key parameters including (1) bowel wall thickness (BWT) (2) bowel wall stratification (3) hyperemia of the wall [color Doppler imaging] and (4) inflammatory mesenteric fat. Blind Read: Each variable exhibited moderate to substantial reliability. Optimal, standardized image and cineloop acquisition were established. Second Blind Read and score development: intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) for BWT was almost perfect 0.96 (0.94-0.98). All 4 parameters correlated with the global disease activity assessment and were included in the final International Bowel Ultrasound Segmental Activity Score with almost perfect ICC [0.97 (0.95-0.99, p<0.001)]. Conclusions Using expert consensus and standardized approaches, identification of key activity measurements on IUS has been achieved and a segmental activity score has been proposed, demonstrating excellent reliability.

Background Intestinal ultrasound [IUS] is a promising and non-invasive cross-sectional imaging modality in the diagnosis and monitoring of ulcerative colitis [UC]. Unlike endoscopy, where standardized scoring for evaluation of disease activity is widely used, scoring for UC with IUS is currently unavailable. Therefore, we conducted a study to assess the reliability of IUS in UC among expert sonographists in order to identify robust parameters. Methods Thirty patients with both clinically active [25] and quiescent [five] UC were included. Six expert sonographers first agreed upon key IUS parameters and grading, including bowel wall thickness [BWT], colour Doppler signal [CDS], inflammatory fat [i-fat], loss of bowel wall stratification [BWS], loss of haustrations and presence of lymph nodes. Thirty video-recorded cases were blindly reviewed. Results Inter-observer agreement was almost perfect for BWT (intra-class correlation coefficient [ICC]: 0.96) and substantial for CDS [κ = 0.63]. Agreement was moderate for presence of lymph nodes [κ = 0.41] and fair for presence of i-fat [κ = 0.36], BWS [κ = 0.24] and loss of haustrations [κ = 0.26]. Furthermore, there was substantial agreement for presence of disease activity on IUS [κ = 0.77] and almost perfect agreement for disease severity [ICC: 0.93]. Most individual parameters showed a strong association with IUS disease activity as measured by the six readers. Conclusion IUS is a reliable imaging modality to assess disease activity and severity in UC. Important individual parameters such as BWT and CDS are reliable and could be incorporated in a future UC scoring index. Standardized acquisition and assessment of UC utilizing IUS with established reliability is important to expand the use of IUS globally.

Background and Aims Currently used non-invasive tools for monitoring children with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], such as faecal calprotectin, do not accurately reflect the degree of intestinal inflammation and do not provide information on disease location. Ultrasound [US] might be of added value. This systematic review aimed to assess the diagnostic test accuracy of transabdominal US in detecting intestinal inflammation in children with IBD in both diagnostic and follow-up settings. Methods We systematically searched PubMed, Embase [Ovid], Cochrane Library, and CINAHL [EBSCO] databases for studies assessing diagnostic accuracy of transabdominal US for detection of intestinal inflammation in patients diagnosed or suspected of IBD, aged 0–18 years, with ileo-colonoscopy and/or magnetic resonance enterography [MRE] as reference standards. Studies using US contrast were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed with QUADAS-2. Results The search yielded 276 records of which 14 were included. No meta-analysis was performed, because of heterogeneity in study design and methodological quality. Only four studies gave a clear description of their definition for an abnormal US result. The sensitivity and specificity of US ranged from 39-93% and 90–100% for diagnosing de novo IBD, and 48–93% and 83–93% for detecting active disease during follow-up, respectively. Conclusions The diagnostic accuracy of US in detecting intestinal inflammation as seen on MRE and/or ileo-colonoscopy in paediatric IBD patients remains inconclusive, and there is currently no consensus on defining an US result as abnormal. Prospective studies with adequate sample size and methodology are needed before US can be used in the diagnostics and monitoring of paediatric IBD.

Introduction Active disease in inflammatory bowel disease patients during pregnancy is associated with poor maternal and fetal outcomes. Objective evaluation of disease activity is a core strategy in IBD, and during pregnancy noninvasive modalities are preferred. We aimed to evaluate feasibility and accuracy of intestinal ultrasound (IUS) to objectify disease activity throughout pregnancy. Methods Pregnant patients with known IBD were included and followed throughout pregnancy for clinical disease activity, with fecal calprotectin (FCP) and with IUS every trimester. Feasibility of IUS was assessed for all colonic segments and terminal ileum (TI). Intestinal ultrasound outcomes to detect active disease and treatment response were compared with clinical scores combined with FCP. Results In total, 38 patients (22 CD, 16 UC) were included, with 27 patients having serial IUS. Feasibility of IUS decreases significantly in third trimester for TI (first vs third trimester: 91.3% vs 21.7%, P < .0001) and sigmoid (first vs third trimester: 95.6% vs 69.5%, P = .023). Intestinal ultrasound activity showed moderate to strong correlation with clinical activity (r = 0.60, P < .0001) and FCP (r = 0.73, P < .0001). Throughout pregnancy, IUS distinguished active from quiescent disease with 84% sensitivity and 98% specificity according to FCP combined with clinical activity. IUS showed disease activity in >1 segment in 52% of patients and detected treatment response with 80% sensitivity and 92% specificity. Conclusions IUS is feasible and accurate throughout pregnancy, although visualization of the sigmoid and TI decreases in the third trimester. IUS provides objective information on disease activity, extent, and treatment response, even during second and third trimester, and offers a noninvasive strategy to closely monitor patients during pregnancy.