[Usefulness of abdominal echography in the diagnosis of active Crohn's disease].

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relevance of the ultrasonography in assessing activity in a series of patients with Crohn's disease.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A series of 24 patients with active (Crohn's disease activity index > 150) ileal or ileocolonic Crohn disease underwent abdominal ultrasonography.

RESULTS

There was a significant correlation between bowel wall thickening and the Crohn's disease activity index: the higher the bowel wall thickening was the higher were the values of Crohn's disease activity index. Two or more ultrasound studies were performed in 10 patients with bowel wall > 4 mm during treatment, and a progressive normalization of bowel wall size was observed with new thickening when recurrence occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

A bowel wall thickening (> or = 4 mm) was found in patients with active Crohn's disease. A patient with bowel wall thickness > 6 mm should make us suspect the presence of stenosis. Abdominal ultrasonography is an accurate method in the first assessment of Crohn's disease because its high correlation with the Crohn's disease activity index.