Small Bowel Strictures in Crohns Disease: A Quantitative Investigation of Intestinal Motility Using MR Enterography

Alex Menys¹, Emma Helbren, Jesica Makanyanga, Steve Halligan, David Atkinson, Stuart Taylor

Small bowel strictures are common in Crohns disease (CD) and often present a therapeutic dilemma with a poorly understood natural history. Dynamic motility sequences are increasingly used in MR Enterography (MRE) and may provide insights into the functional significance of stricturing disease. We aimed to quantify intestinal motility in 24 patients with CD related strictures and investigate potential differences in upstream (dilated/non-dilated) bowel. We found reduced motility within the stricture and significantly decreased motility in dilated pre-strictured bowel compared to non-dilated. These data provide new insights into the effect on bowel motility by stricturing Crohns disease.