Paediatric magnetic resonance enteroclysis under general anaesthesia - initial experience

Area of Science:

• Pediatric radiology
• Gastrointestinal imaging
• Inflammatory bowel disease diagnostics

Background:

• MR enterography is the standard for small bowel assessment in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
• An increasing number of young children (<5 years) present with severe IBD.
• Assessing young children with enterography poses technical challenges, often requiring sedation or general anesthesia and oral contrast for optimal imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present institutional practices for MR enteroclysis under general anesthesia in pediatric IBD patients.
• To highlight a successful imaging technique for the work-up of early-age IBD patients.

Main Methods:

• MR enteroclysis performed under general anesthesia.
• Utilizing oral contrast for adequate luminal assessment in young children.
• Institutional practice guidelines for the procedure are detailed.

Main Results:

• MR enteroclysis under general anesthesia has proven to be a successful imaging technique.
• This approach effectively addresses the challenges of imaging young children with IBD.

Conclusions:

• MR enteroclysis under general anesthesia is a viable and successful imaging modality for pediatric patients with early-onset IBD.
• This technique facilitates optimal small bowel assessment in a challenging pediatric cohort.