Doppler Ultrasound Measurement of Intestinal Blood Flow in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract

This study shows that Doppler US can demonstrate splanchnic hemodynamic changes in active IBD patients and, in particular, can be used to differentiate between active and quiescent UC. However, the assessment of CD activity by means of Doppler US requires further investigation.

Factors Affecting Splanchnic Haemodynamics in Crohn's Disease: A Prospective Controlled Study Using Doppler Ultrasound

“…5 van Oostaynen et al studied the SMA only and found a significant diVerence between active and quiescent Crohn's disease both for flow volume and for RI. 6 9 In contrast, in a previous study of ours 7 we did not find differences between active and inactive Crohn's disease both for PV flow and V mean , for mesenteric vein flow and V mean , and for the RI of the SMA (flow volume of SMA was not evaluated). Furthermore, preliminary reports investigated SMA volume flow in patients with Crohn's disease and found that it was not sufficiently discriminatory for diagnostic purposes or for defining disease activity.…”

“…As previously reported the day to day variability of the measurements of PV and SMA parameters showed a Pearson correlation coeYcient no lower than 0.91 7 and the intraobserver variation had a coeYcient of variation of less than 10%.…”

“…The few available articles on this topic report on limited numbers of patients and yield conflicting results, particularly when patients with active versus quiescent disease were compared. [5][6][7][8][9][10] In fact, while a hyperdynamic splanchnic circulation is a common finding in active Crohn's disease, the data concerning quiescent Crohn's disease are conflicting and do not show clear diVerences from active Crohn's disease. Two main reasons may account for such a discrepancy: diVerences in the degree of activity between active and quiescent Crohn's disease cases in the various published series; or a major role of factors other than disease activity in influencing splanchnic haemodynamics.…”

“…To date, very few studies have dealt with splanchnic haemodynamics in Crohn's disease, as evaluated by Doppler US; studies have focused exclusively on the potential relation between disease activity and blood flowmetry data and, moreover, have yielded conflicting results. [5][6][7][8][9][10] In addition, none of these studies, all of which were based on very small series of patients, evaluated whether or not some important features of the disease other than activity (anatomical location, duration of disease, extent of intestinal involvement, and the presence of complications) have any eVect on splanchnic haemodynamics.…”

Prospective qualitative and quantitative non-invasive evaluation of intestinal acute GVHD by contrast-enhanced ultrasound sonography

“…Standard transabdominal ultrasonography (US) has already been used for its diagnosis and clinical follow-up, [5][6][7] and, more widely, in a variety of other intestinal diseases, [8][9][10] including inflammatory bowel diseases. [11][12][13][14] Recent studies have highlighted neovascularization in the early stages of GVHD. 15 We previously reported our experience on the use of contrastenhanced ultrasound (CEUS) during I-aGVHD that showed contrast enhancement uptake in the bowel wall (BW).…”