Utility of Combined Use of Transabdominal Ultrasonography and Fecal Immunochemical Test Examinations in Ulcerative Colitis.

ABSTRACT

This study examined the utility of the combined use of transabdominal ultrasonography (TUS) and fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) to detect mucosal inflammation, vis-a-vis the Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES), in ulcerative colitis (UC). Sixty-three UC patients who underwent TUS and FIT were retrospectively enrolled. For TUS, the colon was divided into five segments, and the bowel wall thickness was measured and evaluated. The accuracy of FIT (> 100 ng/ml) in detecting mucosal inflammation (MES>0) was 0.93, whereas that of TUS (BWT>2 mm) in each segment was 0.84-0.97. The combined use of TUS and FIT may be helpful in noninvasive treatment strategies.