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MRIs Instead of Colonoscopies??

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 1/25/2011 4:37 AM (GMT 0)

Somebody said...
Colonoscopy is the standard intestinal examination for diagnosing and monitoring Crohn's disease. It is a stressful procedure in which a flexible tube fitted with a camera is passed into the large intestine. MRI scans are therefore often used as an alternative to monitor the course of the disease and how it is responding to treatment.


www.physorg.com/wire-news/57324784/eu-grant-for-better-monitoring-of-crohns-disease-using-mri.html

Sounds like no multi-day prep, no sedation, quick, and likely cheaper.
Posted 1/25/2011 5:28 AM (GMT 0)
My GI might not be down with that, because she likes to take lots of biopsies. That's the only way to tell if you have microscopic inflammation, as far as I know.
Posted 1/25/2011 5:37 AM (GMT 0)
What Spooky said.
Posted 1/25/2011 3:25 PM (GMT 0)
Yup, yup. MRIs can't take biopsies, they can't remove a polyp and as of late 2008 they still weren't as accurate as a CTE for the small intestine.

On the other hand, the colonoscopy can't "see" or reach much beyond the first few inches of the end of the small intestine leaving some 19+ feet of small intestine unexamined.

Posted 1/25/2011 3:32 PM (GMT 0)
I agree as well, my gi, no way. he won't evan do pill cam on me, any form of narrowing, and they're in there retreiving that cam. me personally, I wouldn't do apill cam to save my life. I hate colonoscopies, but I think they are a neccasary evil.

Posted 1/25/2011 4:01 PM (GMT 0)
Is it true that MRIs don't need the clean out prep work beforehand? Since I don't intend to get a colonoscopy more than every few years I like the idea of being able to gather biopsies and delete polyps, which cannot be done with a MRI.

However over the past couple of years I have insisted on getting a safer MRI to look at my insides instead of being exposed to the radiation from a CAT scan.
Posted 1/25/2011 4:19 PM (GMT 0)
My sister had MRE (MRI Enterography) at Mayo Clinic. She had to stop food the night before but otherwise no clean out. However she was on TPN and taking virtually no food by mouth so I don't know for sure if it would have been different if she was eating normally.

They did both procedures and I think that should probably be the standard of care for diagnosis CD at this point.

The colonoscopy allows for biopsies to be done to confirm diagnosis and the MRE provides a fairly good assessment of the small bowel. MRE is not yet a wide spread technology because it requires specific training for radiologists to accurately read the results. And of course MRI machines are not widely available in rural areas to begin with. So older technologies like SBFT and CT may still be what is used in your area.
Posted 1/26/2011 1:47 AM (GMT 0)
I actually had the most luck with a CT enterography... It showed a lot of damage that they didn't find doing scopes for me. Due to radiation they can't do it all the time, but in my case it saved me a lot of pain and suffering. Only downside is the lack of biopsies, but I would much prefer to have a CT enterography or MRI redone during intervals where I don't need biopsies taken..
Posted 1/26/2011 1:50 AM (GMT 0)
Prep for MRIs depends on what type of scan you're having. Sometimes you won't have to do more than fast; sometimes you'll have to drink stuff; sometimes you may even have to do bowel prep. I know Phoebe had to do a full bowel prep for one of her MRIs.

Ivy.
Posted 1/26/2011 2:29 AM (GMT 0)
The only problem with CT's is the radiation exposure, so you don't want to do to many. My GI sent me for an MRI a couple years ago rather than a CT.
Posted 1/26/2011 5:17 AM (GMT 0)
I had an MRI done and the only prep I had to do for it was no food after midnight the night before and they made me drink two eight ounce bottles of water back to back right before the MRI. If you have not had an MRI before prepare to empty your bladder every 5 minutes for the first two hours after you are done due to all the water intake. My MRI showed that I had thickening in the lower intestines so I am going in for a colonoscopy to figure out how bad it is and what medicine I will be put on. Like everyone said before MRI's are great to check up on the progress of your intestines/colon etc but the colonoscopy helps the GI figure out how severe you are inflammed if you have come out of remission or for a newbie like me and have issues with your small intestines. I just wish MRI's and Colonoscopies were not 1500 or so and that is with insurance until my deductible is paid bleh!

Libra1979

Posted 1/26/2011 5:43 PM (GMT 0)
ArtistGuy, your GI is WAY, WAY outta date!!!! The Agile Patency Capsule has been available for several years now. It is a capsule the size of the pill camera but it is dissolvable, guaranteed to dissolve w/in 3-4 days.

You swallow the APC early one day, you have an abdominal xray 24-26 hours later. If the capsule can't be found by xray, or if you found it in your BM, then it is safe to do the Capsule Endoscopy (pill cam) w/o worry of its getting "stuck". If the APC shows up on the xray, then you are NOT a good candidate for the PCE - forget it!!!

Posted 6/1/2014 9:34 PM (GMT 0)
Had a routine capsule endoscopy in January 2013. Unfortunately the camera did became stuck. Before it was decided how and when it would be removed I ended up having emergency surgery for a necrotic bowl. The surgery went well but within hours my organs shut down and I was on life support not expected to live. After eight months in hospitals and rehab wards (two months in ICU) I'm finally home but minus my hands and feet. In hindsight, given I would have had strictures, I wasn't a good candidate for a capsule endo!
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