Digestion  1988;41(3):180-4 

Ultrasonography in the detection of Crohn's disease and in the differential

diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease.

Pera A, Cammarota T, Comino E, Caldera D, Ponti V, Astegiano M, Barletti C,

Rocca R, Cosimato M, Bertolusso L.

Department of Gastroenterology, Ospedale Molinette, Turin, Italy.

The diagnostic accuracy of abdominal ultrasonography in inflammatory bowel

disease (IBD) has been evaluated in a prospective, randomized, blind study. A

total of 181 patients (89 with Crohn's disease, 57 ulcerative colitis and 35

controls) were examined. Sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis in Crohn's

disease, corrected for prevalence, were 80.8 and 79.2%, respectively, and a very

similar accuracy was found in the differential diagnosis of IBD. In conclusion,

ultrasonography can play a role in detecting Crohn's disease and in the

differential diagnosis of chronic IBD.