Magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers of gastrointestinal motor function and fluid distribution

Abstract

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a well established technique that has revolutionized diagnostic radiology. Until recently, the impact that MRI has had in the assessment of gastrointestinal motor function and bowel fluid distribution in health and in disease has been more limited, despite the novel insights that MRI can provide along the entire gastrointestinal tract. MRI biomarkers include intestinal motility indices, small bowel water content and whole gut transit time. The present review discusses new developments and applications of MRI in the upper gastrointestinal tract, the small bowel and the colon reported in the literature in the last 5 years.

Different perception of chronic constipation between patients and gastroenterologists

“…Once again, these observations highlight the fact that a rigid separation between FC and IBS-C is often impossible, at least on clinical grounds, as confirmed by a recent review on this topic, 16 and that this differentiation, whenever possible, must be done on objective measures. 17 In our sample, the quality of life was similar between FC and IBS-C. This is consistent with the study of Zhao et al, which highlighted similar values of SF-36 in these conditions.…”

“…: using a latent class analysis they concluded that FC and IBS‐C appear as very similar disorders. Once again, these observations highlight the fact that a rigid separation between FC and IBS‐C is often impossible, at least on clinical grounds, as confirmed by a recent review on this topic, and that this differentiation, whenever possible, must be done on objective measures …”

Irritable bowel syndrome: new insights into symptom mechanisms and advances in treatment

“…Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a unique opportunity to image the undisturbed gut, since by using a range of sequences adequate contrast can be obtained with normal gut contents 29 . Such studies have provided for the first time accurate assessments of small bowel and regional colonic volumes in normal subjects.…”

“…This shows marked impairment of colonic motility in functional constipation but not IBS-C ( Figure 1 ) 34 . The technique can also be used to show the mode of action of therapeutic agents including Movicol, loperamide, ondansetron, and ispaghula and could be useful in the future when screening drugs designed to alter colonic transit 29 .…”

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“…Advances in MRI hardware including improved parallel imaging techniques have enabled rapid image acquisition over a large volume coverage, leading to reduced effects of motion artefacts due to respiration and peristalsis [17]. In addition, MRI can assess the proximal and distal stomach regions simultaneously which cannot be done by ultrasound [11,26,41,42]. Also, the non-invasive characteristic of MRI opens perspectives towards screening gastric motility in different populations (e.g.…”