[Hydrocolonic sonography in the diagnostics of ulcerative colitis]

The present study was to assess the diagnostic value of hydrocolonic sonography in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). 32 patients with clinical diagnosis of UC or with the symptoms of the disease were examined with hydrocolonic sonography, and subsequently with double-contrast enema radiography. 18 healthy subjects were examined as controls. Special attention was paid to the bowel wall thickness and stratification, the bowel lumen, haustration and peristaltic activity. Mean colonic wall thickness in UC patients was 2.45 +/- 0.5 mm and it was significantly higher than in the controls (p < 0.001). In UC patients the wall was hypoechoic with usually stratification preserved. Hydrocolonic sonography had sensitivity of 90.6% in the determination of the extent of lesions. Hydrocolonic sonography seems to be a valuable modification of the classic sonography, which enables noninvasive monitoring of the large intestine.