Vilela EG, Torres HODG, Martins FP, Ferrari MLA, Andrade MM, Cunha ASD. Evaluation of inflammatory activity in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. World J Gastroenterol 2012; 18(9): 872-881 [PMID: 22408345 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i9.872]
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Eduardo Garcia Vilela, PhD, Professor, Avenida Professor Alfredo Balena 189/803, Bairro Santa Efigênia, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 30130-100, Brazil. evilela@medicina.ufmg.br
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World J Gastroenterol. Mar 7, 2012; 18(9): 872-881 Published online Mar 7, 2012. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i9.872
Evaluation of inflammatory activity in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
Eduardo Garcia Vilela, Henrique Osvaldo da Gama Torres, Fabiana Paiva Martins, Maria de Lourdes de Abreu Ferrari, Marcella Menezes Andrade, Aloísio Sales da Cunha
Eduardo Garcia Vilela, Henrique Osvaldo da Gama Torres, Maria de Lourdes de Abreu Ferrari, Aloísio Sales da Cunha, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais 30130-100, Brazil
Eduardo Garcia Vilela, Henrique Osvaldo da Gama Torres, Maria de Lourdes de Abreu Ferrari, Aloísio Sales da Cunha, Gastroenterology Alfa Institute, Clinic Hospital, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais 30130-100, Brazil
Fabiana Paiva Martins, Complementary Propedeutic Department, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais 30130-100, Brazil
Marcella Menezes Andrade, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais 30130-100, Brazil
Author contributions: Vilela EG, Torres HOG and Marins FP wrote the manuscript; Vilela EG, Ferrari MLA and Cunha AS critically reviewed it; Andrade MM formatted the text and references; all authors approved the final version to be published.
Correspondence to: Eduardo Garcia Vilela, PhD, Professor, Avenida Professor Alfredo Balena 189/803, Bairro Santa Efigênia, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 30130-100, Brazil. evilela@medicina.ufmg.br
Telephone: +55-31-32731655 Fax: +55-31-32746852
Received: August 31, 2010 Revised: January 22, 2011 Accepted: January 29, 2011 Published online: March 7, 2012
Abstract
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis evolve with a relapsing and remitting course. Determination of inflammatory state is crucial for the assessment of disease activity and for tailoring therapy. However, no simple diagnostic test for monitoring intestinal inflammation is available. Noninvasive markers give only indirect assessments of disease activity. Histopathological or endoscopical examinations accurately assess inflammatory activity, but they are invasive, time consuming and expensive and therefore are unsuitable for routine use. Imaging procedures are not applicable for ulcerative colitis. The usefulness of ultrasound and Doppler imaging in assessing disease activity is still a matter of discussion for Crohn’s disease, and an increased interest in computed tomography enterograph (CTE) has been seen, mainly because it can delineate the extent and severity of bowel wall inflammation, besides detecting extraluminal findings. Until now, the available data concerning the accuracy of magnetic resonance enterography in detecting disease activity is less than CTE. Due to this, clinical activity indices are still commonly used for both diseases.
