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Magnetic resonance imaging of inflammatory bowel disease: evaluation in a rabbit model
Friedrich D Knollmann1, Thore Dietrich, Tim Bleckmann
1Department of Radiology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany. Friedrich.Knollmann@charite.de
Purpose:
To correlate intestinal contrast enhancement and wall thickening with the degree of inflammation in an experimental model of inflammatory bowel disease.
Materials And Methods:
Inflammatory bowel disease was elicited in 39 New Zealand White rabbits by rectal instillation of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBA). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to determine bowel wall thickness and intestinal contrast enhancement after the administration of 0.1 mmol/kg of gadodiamide intravenously. MR measurements were compared with the complete histopathologic analysis.
Results:
MR measurements of bowel wall thickness correlated well with histopathologic measurements in vitro (r = 0.85, P < 0.0001) and with histopathologic evidence of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (P < 0.02). Chronic inflammation was characterized by increased intestinal contrast enhancement (137 +/- 25%) when compared to normal bowel (86 +/- 7%, P = 0.04).
Conclusion:
Contrast-enhanced MRI accurately reflects inflammatory bowel disease in the rabbit model.