Gut Liver.  2013 Mar;7(2):169-174.

Asymptomatic Brain Lesions on Cranial Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

• Dolapcioglu C
• Guleryuzlu Y
• Uygur-Bayramicli O
• Ahishali E
• Dabak R

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
This study aimed to examine the frequency and type of asymptomatic neurological involvement in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) using cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
METHODS
Fifty-one IBD patients with no known neurological diseases or symptoms and 30 controls with unspecified headaches without neurological origins were included. Patients and controls underwent cranial MRI assessments for white matter lesions, sinusitis, otitis-mastoiditis, and other brain parenchymal findings.
RESULTS
The frequencies of white matter lesions, other brainstem parenchymal lesions, and otitis-mastoiditis were similar in IBD patients and controls (p>0.05), whereas sinusitis was significantly more frequent in IBD patients (56.9% vs 33.3%, p=0.041). However, among those subjects with white matter lesions, the number of such lesions was significantly higher in IBD patients compared to controls (12.75+/-9.78 vs 3.20+/-2.90, p<0.05). The incidence of examined pathologies did not differ significantly with disease activity (p>0.05 for all).
CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of white matter lesions seemed to be similar in IBD patients and normal healthy individuals, and the lesions detected did not pose any clinical significance. However, long-term clinical follow-up of the lesions is warranted.

Keyword

Inflammatory bowel disease; Asymptomatic brain lesion; Magnetic resonance imaging; White matter lesions

MeSH Terms

Brain
Brain Stem
Headache
Humans
Incidence
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Magnetics
Magnets
Sinusitis