Title:Overview of the Large Bowel Assessment using Magnetic Resonance Imaging:
Different Techniques for Current and Emerging Clinical Applications
Volume: 18
Author(s): Giuseppe Cicero*, Giorgio Ascenti, Alfredo Blandino, Christian Booz, Thomas J. Vogl, Renato Trimarchi, Tommaso D'Angelo and Silvio Mazziotti
Affiliation:
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Policlinico
“G. Martino” Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98100, Messina, Italy
Keywords:
Radiology, magnetic resonance imaging, large bowel, colon, intestinal disorders, colonic malignancies.
Abstract: Radiological assessments of the small and large bowel are essential in daily clinical practice.
Over X-ray plain films and ultrasound, cross-sectional techniques are considered the most comprehensive
imaging modalities. "Cross-sectional techniques" refers to CT and MRI, as stated in the following
sentence. In fact, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging take great advantage of the
three-dimensional appraisal and the extensive evaluation of the abdominal cavity, allowing intestinal
evaluation as well as detection of extra-intestinal findings. In this context, the chief advantage of computed
tomography is the fast scan time, which is crucial for emergency cases. Nonetheless, it is undeniably
impaired using ionizing radiation. As the awareness of radiation exposure is a topic of increasing
importance, magnetic resonance imaging is not only becoming a mere alternative but also a primary
imaging technique used in assessing intestinal diseases. Specifically, the evaluation of the large
bowel through MRI can still be considered relatively uncharted territory. Although it has demonstrated
superior accuracy in the assessment of some clinical entities from inflammatory bowel disease to rectal
carcinoma, its role needs to be consolidated in many other conditions. Moreover, different technical
methods can be applied for colonic evaluation depending on the specific disease and segment involved.
This article aims to provide a thorough overview of the techniques that can be utilized in the evaluation
of the large bowel and a discussion on the major findings in different colonic pathologies of primary
interest.