Comparison between clinical and radiological evaluation before and after medical therapy in patients with Crohn’s disease: new prospective roles of CT enterography

• DOI: 10.1007/s11547-014-0471-3
• Publication Date: 2014-12-02T14:35:19Z
• Authors: Laura Maria Minordi; Franco Scaldaferri; Luigi Larosa; Rosa Marra; Francesco Giordano; Lucrezia Laterza; Iolanda Scoleri; Andrea Poscia; Viviana Gerardi; Giovanni Bruno; Eleonora Gaetani; Antonio Gasbarrini; Amorino Vecchioli; Lorenzo Bonomo
• Keywords: Adult; Male; crohn's disease; Middle Aged; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Treatment Outcome; 0302 clinical medicine; Crohn Disease; CT enterography; Crohn disease; theraphy response; Humans; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; Female; Prospective Studies; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

In recent years, CT enterography (CTE) has emerged as an important methodology to study patients with Crohn's disease (CD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between clinical response to therapy and CTE findings in CD patients.Forty-five patients with proven CD underwent CTE before and after medical therapy. In CTE we evaluated bowel thickness, longitudinal extension of parietal thickening, presence of target signs and extraintestinal signs. The clinical response to therapy was judged based on clinical global assessment and classified as improved, worsened or stable disease. Radiological judgement was compared to clinical judgement. The Cohen kappa test, t test or Anova analysis and χ (2) test were used for comparisons.Among 45 enrolled patients, 21 (47 %) improved clinically, five (11 %) worsened, 19 (42 %) remained stable. Clinical improvement was significantly correlated to reduced intestinal thickness, reduced longitudinal extension of the disease, increased diameter of pathological bowel and reduced target signs (p < 0.05). Worsening conditions were significantly correlated to increased longitudinal extent, increased parietal thickness and reduced lumen diameter (p < 0.05). CT judgement was in agreement with physician's clinical assessment in 34 patients (76 %), showing improved disease in 16/21 patients (76 %), stable disease in 14/19 patients (74 %) and worsening in 4/5 patients (80 %). No agreement was observed in 11 (24 %) patients.CT enterography provide specific and measurable parameters in evaluating the response to therapy in CD patients.