Abstract
Endoscopy is the method of choice in the diagnosis and assessment of ulcerative colitis. However, intestinal ultrasound may be also useful as preliminary investigation in patients with suspected disease and in the follow-up of patients with known diagnosis, to detect extension and activity of ulcerative colitis, in particular when endoscopy is incomplete or contraindicated. The main ultrasonographic features of ulcerative colitis include bowel wall thickening, alterations of the bowel wall echo pattern, hyperaemia and loss of haustra coli. The degree of thickness of colonic walls depends on disease activity, being greater in active disease, and normal in the quiescent phases. Intestinal ultrasound may be useful in the follow-up of patients with ulcerative colitis to evaluate the response to medical treatment and to predict relapses of the disease after therapy.
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Bezzio, C., Furfaro, F., Monteleone, M., Maconi, G. (2014). Intestinal Ultrasound in Ulcerative Colitis. In: Tonolini, M. (eds) Imaging of Ulcerative Colitis. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5409-7_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5409-7_3
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