Intestinal Ultrasound for the Evaluation of Pouchitis and Other Outcomes After Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis

Utility of Intestinal Ultrasound as a Diagnostic Tool for the Evaluation of Pouchitis and Other Outcomes After Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis: A Prospective Pilot Study

Intestinal ultrasound (IUS) has been studied in the evaluation of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is increasingly used as a non-invasive, easy to use, cost-effective tool for point-of-care to assess disease activity and more recently to predict response to treatment. However, there is a paucity of data on the use of IUS specifically for ulcerative colitis (UC) patients with an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA).

AIMS:

1. Establish normal sonographic parameters in patients with an IPAA and normal pouch function.
2. Evaluate the feasibility of IUS for diagnosing pouchitis and other outcomes and compare its performance with the current gold standard of pouchoscopy with biopsies.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults (age ≥ 18 years)
• Diagnosis of ulcerative colitis (UC)
• Status post ileal pouch anal anastomosis IPAA (completed all stages)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pediatric patients
• Indeterminate colitis
• Status post IPAA for familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP)
• BMI > 30 kg/m2
• Pregnant
• Decompensated Cirrhosis
• Inability to provide informed consent