[Diagnostic imaging of the small bowel]

Cross-sectional imaging procedures play a pivotal role in the assessment of the jejunum and ileum as these segments of the small intestine are less easily accessible to endoscopic evaluation compared to the stomach, duodenum and colon. The radiological diagnostics of the small bowel are, however, a special challenge as many small bowel diseases show similar imaging patterns making a differentiation difficult. Technical advances in imaging now enable a more precise characterization of the bowel wall, thereby providing the basis for increasingly more personalized medicine. An imaging pattern-based diagnostic approach can be helpful in narrowing down the spectrum of potential differential diagnoses and increasing the accuracy of radiological interpretation. The aim of this review article is to present the current diagnostic techniques, recent technological developments and characteristic radiological imaging features of small bowel diseases.