Ultrasound and Strain Elastography for Assessing Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Pediatric Patients

The study investigates the diagnostic efficacy of conventional ultrasound, color Doppler, and strain elastography (SE) in evaluating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in pediatric patients. IBD often presents with intestinal changes detectable by ultrasound, yet invasive procedures are typically required to differentiate between types and identify complications. The research involved forty patients, comprising 18 females and 22 males, diagnosed with IBD through clinical assessments and endoscopic biopsy, alongside 20 healthy controls. Each participant underwent a series of tests, including conventional ultrasound, color Doppler, SE, and laboratory evaluations measuring parameters such as CBC, ESR, CRP, and fecal calprotectin, with IBD activity assessed using the Pediatric IBD Activity Index (PIBDAI). The results indicated that all three imaging modalities significantly contributed to detecting disease activity and intestinal alterations in IBD, with a combined approach yielding a remarkable 100% sensitivity, 84% specificity, and 92% overall accuracy. This combination demonstrated superior sensitivity compared to individual methods, suggesting that utilizing color Doppler and SE alongside grayscale ultrasound offers diagnostic capabilities akin to invasive techniques such as endoscopy and histopathology. Ultimately, this integrated diagnostic strategy could reduce the need for unnecessary invasive follow-up procedures, improving patient comfort and streamlining the assessment of IBD in pediatric populations.