Advances in MRI for colorectal cancer and bowel motility

In the first part of this thesis certain aspects of MRI in the evaluation of colorectal cancer and its precursors, and restaging of rectal cancer were addressed. The current status of MR colonography regarding the different preparation techniques as well as the imaging sequences and colon distension methods were reviewed. The diagnostic accuracy, bowel distension, and patient burden of 3 Tesla MR colonography with the use of a limited bowel preparation and automated carbon dioxide bowel insufflation was assessed in patients symptomatic for colorectal cancer and compared with colonoscopy. The diagnostic performances of MRI for restaging rectal cancer tumour status, lymph node involvement and tumour free resection margins after chemoradiotherapy were reviewed.
In the second part of this thesis the advances of MRI in bowel motility assessment were addressed. The feasibility of detecting bowel motion both in a phantom model and one human subject, with the motion-sensitive SPAMM technique at 3T MRI was described. The motion sensitive imaging technique described in the feasibility study was further validated in a group of ten healthy volunteers.