Role of MRI in Crohn's disease

The traditional imaging of Crohn's disease has relied on barium and computed tomography (CT) examinations. In recent years magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as an imaging method that can be used in the diagnosis and assessment of Crohn's disease. The advantages of MRI include lack of ionizing radiation and its superior tissue contrast resolution. The clinical progression of Crohn's disease can be variable, and MRI can be used to assess inflammatory status, disease progression, and complications of Crohn's disease. MRI of the small bowel is an evolving technique and it has the potential to become the preferred technique for imaging of small bowel Crohn's disease in the future.