Color Doppler transabdominal ultrasonography for the assessment of the patients with inflammatory bowel disease during treatment.

Color and power Doppler ultrasound are useful methods for the assessment of patients with gastrointestinal diseases. The aim of our study was to assess color Doppler and power Doppler ultrasound, during the evolution of patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease treated with salazopyrin. We included in the study 10 patients with inflammatory bowel diseases diagnosed by colonoscopy with multiple biopsies. All the patients underwent color and power Doppler ultrasound using Jeffrey criteria for the evaluation of intestinal vasculature. Biological examinations included: erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum C reactive protein, blood cell count, fibrinogenemia, protein electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis. The results of our study indicated a diminished blood flow at the level of the affected intestinal segments after one month of salazopyrin treatment. Color and power Doppler ultrasound might thus represent a useful method for monitoring the response in inflammatory bowel disease treatment.