Mesenteric blood flow reflects mucosal blood flow in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Problemstellung: Measurements of mesenteric flow allows an estimation of disease activity and risk of relapse after steroid induced remission in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) (Am J Gastroenterol 1999;94:2942, Gut 1999;45:546). The relationship between systemic mesenteric and intestinal mucosal blood flow has not yet been assessed. Methode: Pulsatility and resistance index of the superior and inferior mesenteric artery (PI/RI-SMA/IMA), the respective mucosal capillaries (PI/RI-M(SMA/IMA), bowel wall thickness (BWT) and hyperemia (H) were studied prospectively in 173 consecutive pa…