Rationale and Objectives: The objective of this study was to develop and validate a predictive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) activity score for ileocolonic Crohn disease activity based on both subjective and semiautomatic MRI features. Materials and Methods: An MRI activity score (the “virtual gastrointestinal tract [VIGOR]” score) was developed from 27 validated magnetic resonance enterography datasets, including subjective radiologist observation of mural T2 signal and semiautomatic measurements of bowel wall thickness, excess volume, and dynamic contrast enhancement (initial slope of increase). A second subjective score was developed based on only radiologist observations. For validation, two observers applied both scores and three existing scores to a prospective dataset of 106 patients (59 women, median age 33) with known Crohn disease, using the endoscopic Crohn's Disease Endoscopic Index of Severity (CDEIS) as a reference standard. Results: The VIGOR score (17.1 × initial slope of increase + 0.2 × excess volume + 2.3 × mural T2) and other activity scores all had comparable correlation to the CDEIS scores (observer 1: r = 0.58 and 0.59, and observer 2: r = 0.34–0.40 and 0.43–0.51, respectively). The VIGOR score, however, improved interobserver agreement compared to the other activity scores (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.81 vs 0.44–0.59). A diagnostic accuracy of 80%–81% was seen for the VIGOR score, similar to the other scores. Conclusions: The VIGOR score achieves comparable accuracy to conventional MRI activity scores, but with significantly improved reproducibility, favoring its use for disease monitoring and therapy evaluation.

Objective: Previous single-centre MRI data suggests an inverse correlation between normal small bowel motility variance and abdominal symptoms in Crohn's disease (CD) patients. The current work prospectively assesses this observation in a larger, two-centre study. Methods: MR enterography datasets were analysed from 82 patients (38 male, aged 16-68), who completed a contemporaneous Harvey-Bradshaw index (HBI) questionnaire. Dynamic "cine motility" breath-hold balanced steady-state free precession sequences were acquired through the whole small bowel (SB) volume. Regions of interest (ROIs) were manually applied to encompass all morphologically normal SB (i.e. excluding Crohn's affected bowel) and a validated registration technique used to produce motility maps. Mean variance motility metrics were correlated with HBI and symptom components (well-being, pain and diarrhoea) using Spearman's correlation statistics. Results: Overall, motility variance was non-significantly negatively correlated with the total HBI score, (r = -0.17, p = 0.12), but for subjects with a HBI score over 10, the negative correlation was significant (r = -0.633, p = 0.027). Motility variance was negatively correlated with diarrhoea (r = -0.29, p < 0.01). No significant correlation was found between mean motility and HBI (r = -0.02, p = 0.84). Conclusion: An inverse association between morphologically normal small bowel motility variance and patient symptoms has been prospectively confirmed in patients with HBI scores above 10. This association is particularly apparent for the symptom of diarrhoea. Advances in knowledge: This study builds on preliminary work by confirming in a large, well-controlled prospective multicentre study a relationship between normal bowel motility variance and patient reported symptoms which may have implications for drug development and clinical management. Relationship between MRI quantified small bowel motility and abdominal symptoms in Crohn’s disease patients—a validation study | Request PDF. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325706806_Relationship_between_MRI_quantified_small_bowel_motility_and_abdominal_symptoms_in_Crohn%27s_disease_patients-a_validation_study [accessed Oct 09 2018].