Latent course of Crohn’s disease: the role of tomographic imaging in diagnosis

Cover Image

Cite item

Abstract

Crohn’s disease with localization in the upper gastrointestinal tract, terminal ileum, or colon is diagnosed based on visualization of the lesion area using endoscopic methods and histological examination. In cases of damage to the small intestine, when endoscopy methods are not informative enough and the use of videocapsular endoscopy has a number of contraindications, it is advised to use radiation diagnostic methods, such as multispiral computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance enterography, to make a diagnosis.

We present a clinical case of ambiguous clinical manifestations of Crohn’s disease with small intestine and rectal involvement. Tomographic imaging was used to confirm the diagnosis. A 44-year-old patient presented with complaints of non-pronounced abdominal pain, dyspepsia. The lab panel showed indirect signs of malabsorption, an increase in fecal calprotectin. An endoscopic examination with histological verification revealed a picture of proctitis. After performing computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance enterography multiple lesions of the small intestine were revealed. This clinical case demonstrates an atypical clinical picture of Crohn’s disease with jejunal, iliac, and rectal lesions.

The patient had no characteristic complaints; the results of endoscopic and morphological studies were not informative. Imaging by means of computed and magnetic resonance tomography has played a crucial role in the diagnosis and successful treatment.

About the authors

Yuliya F. Shumskaya

The First Sechenov Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University); Research and Practical Clinical Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine Technologies

Email: yu.shumskaia@npcmr.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8521-4045
Russian Federation, Moscow; Moscow

Tamara S. Nefedova

The First Sechenov Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)

Email: prosto.toma.22@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6718-8701
SPIN-code: 3097-4977
Russian Federation, Moscow

Dina A. Akhmedzyanova

The First Sechenov Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)

Email: dina_akhm@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7705-9754
SPIN-code: 6983-5991
Russian Federation, Moscow

Ivan A. Blokhin

Research and Practical Clinical Center for Diagnostics and Telemedicine Technologies

Email: i.blokhin@npcmr.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2681-9378
SPIN-code: 3306-1387
Russian Federation, Moscow

Marina G. Mnatsakanyan

The First Sechenov Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)

Author for correspondence.
Email: mnatsakanyan08@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9337-7453
SPIN-code: 2015-1822

MD, Dr. Sci. (Med.)

Russian Federation, Moscow

References

  1. Ainouche A, Durot C, Soyer P, et al. Unusual intestinal and extra intestinal findings in Crohn’s disease seen on abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance enterography. Clin Imaging. 2020;59(1):30–38. doi: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2019.04.010
  2. Jumani L, Kataria D, Ahmed MU, et al. The Spectrum of extra-intestinal manifestation of Crohn’s disease. Cureus. 2020;12(2):e6928. doi: 10.7759/cureus.6928
  3. Amado C, Ferreira PG. Pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis associated with Crohn’s disease: a new aetiology? Eur J Case Rep Intern Med. 2020;7(12):002017. doi: 10.12890/2020_002017
  4. Dodd EM, Howard JR, Dulaney ED, et al. Pyodermatitis-pyostomatitis vegetans associated with asymptomatic inflammatory bowel disease. Int J Dermatol. 2017;56(12):1457–1459. doi: 10.1111/ijd.13640
  5. Urbanek M, Neill SM, McKee PH. Vulval Crohn’s disease: difficulties in diagnosis. Clin Exp Dermatol. 1996;21(3):211–214. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2230.1996.tb00065.x
  6. Dore M, Junco TP, Galán SA, et al. Pitfalls in diagnosis of early-onset inflammatory bowel disease. Eur J Pediatr Surg. 2018;28(1):39–43. doi: 10.1055/s-0037-1604428
  7. Cave DR, Hakimian S, Patel K. Current controversies concerning capsule endoscopy. Dig Dis Sci. 2019;64(11):3040–3047. doi: 10.1007/s10620-019-05791-4
  8. Minordi LM, Larosa L, Papa A, et al. Assessment of Crohn’s disease activity: magnetic resonance enterography in comparison with clinical and endoscopic evaluations. J Gastrointestin Liver Dis. 2019;28:213–224. doi: 10.15403/jgld-183
  9. Hokama A, Kinjo T, Fujita J. Growing role of magnetic resonance enterography in the management of Crohn disease. Pol Arch Intern Med. 2020;130(9):724–725. doi: 10.20452/pamw.15628
  10. Clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Crohn’s disease in adults (project). Koloproktologiya. 2020;19(2):8–38. (In Russ). doi: 10.33878/2073-7556-2020-19-2-8-38
  11. Bruining DH, Zimmermann EM, Loftus EV, et al; Society of Abdominal Radiology Crohn’s Disease-Focused Panel. Consensus recommendations for evaluation, interpretation, and utilization of computed tomography and magnetic resonance enterography in patients with small bowel Crohn’s disease. Radiology. 2018;286(3):776–799. doi: 10.1148/radiol.2018171737
  12. Chavoshi M, Mirshahvalad SA, Kasaeian A, et al. Diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance enterography in the evaluation of colonic abnormalities in Crohn’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Acad Radiol. 2021;28(Suppl 1):S192–S202. doi: 10.1016/j.acra.2021.02.022
  13. Park EK, Han NY, Park BJ, et al. Value of computerized tomography enterography in predicting Crohn’s disease activity: correlation with Crohn’s disease activity index and C-reactive protein. Iran J Radiol. 2016;13(4):e34301. doi: 10.5812/iranjradiol.34301
  14. Dubrova SE, Stashuk GA. Possibilities of radiation methods in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel diseases. Al’manakh klinicheskoi meditsiny. 2016;44(6):757–769. (In Russ). doi: 10.18786/2072-0505-2016-44-6-757-769
  15. Kurilo DP, Savchenko MI, Soloviev IA, et al. Possibilities of computed tomography angiography in the diagnosis of complicated forms of Crohn’s disease. Bulletin of the Russian military medical academy. 2020;(1):60–65. (In Russ).

Supplementary files

Supplementary Files
Action
1. JATS XML
2. Fig. 1. Abdominal multislice computed tomography with intravenous contrast, axial plane: a) substantial narrowing of the intestinal lumen and thickening of the wall with active contrast agent accumulation (arrow); b) dilated loop of the small intestine with an unevenly thickened wall (arrow); c) dilation and narrowing of the intestinal lumen is visible; additionally, of interest is the intestinal mucosa, which actively accumulates the contrast agent (arrows); d) the area of fluid accumulation between the loops in the small pelvis is marked red.

Download (277KB)
3. Fig. 2. Magnetic resonance enterography, axial plane: the arrows show thickened areas of the small intestine.

Download (256KB)
4. Fig. 3. Magnetic resonance enterography, coronal plane: the arrows show areas of thickening of the long sections of the small intestine walls.

Download (252KB)

Copyright (c) 2022 Eco-Vector

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

This website uses cookies

You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website.

About Cookies