Barium/air double contrast examination of the small bowel in Crohn's disease

In patients with Crohn's disease the radiological demonstration of small bowel lesions requires an elaborate and meticulous technique. The barium/air double contrast technique is a method for accurate delineation of normal and abnormal small bowel morphology. By distending the bowel transmural lesions are accurately evaluated. A precise assessment of the axial extension of disease is possible due to an 'en face' presentation which is more sensitive than a 'profile' presentation for detection of superficial lesions.