Eur J Radiol. 2023 Jun;163:110846. doi: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2023.110846.Epub 2023 Apr 25.

Ali Borhani ¹, Shadi Afyouni ¹, Mohammad Mirza Aghazadeh Attari ¹, Alireza Mohseni ¹, Onofrio Catalano ², Ihab R Kamel ³

Author information

¹Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, John's Hopkins Medicine, John's Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States.

²Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, United States; Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115, United States.

³Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, John's Hopkins Medicine, John's Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States. Electronic address: ikamel@jhmi.edu.

Abstract

Positron emission tomography (PET) magnetic resonance (MR) enterography is a novel hybrid imaging technique that is gaining popularity in the study of complex inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal system, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This imaging technique combines the metabolic information of PET imaging with the spatial resolution and soft tissue contrast of MR imaging. Several studies have suggested potential roles for PET/MR imaging in determining the activity status of IBD, evaluating treatment response, stratifying risk, and predicting long-term clinical outcomes. However, there are challenges in generalizing findings due to limited studies, technical aspects of hybrid MR/PET imaging, and clinical indications of this imaging modality. This review aims to further elucidate the possible role of PET/MR in IBD, highlight important technical aspects of imaging, and address potential pitfalls and prospects of this modality in IBDs.