The state of the art of small bowel imaging: combine the old with the new.

Barium contrast examinations are the reference methods for the detection of morphological intraluminal alterations of the small bowel. Oral small bowel examination in many Centers has been replaced by small bowel enteroclysis. It allows optimal filling of intestinal loops, through a nasojejunal tube and the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity are higher as compared to the conventional examination. US, CT and MRI are useful diagnostic procedures in the evaluation of parietal and extraparietal alterations and in the study of complications of small bowel disease. In recent years, CT-enteroclysis and MR-enteroclysis have been developed, both enable the evaluation of luminal, extraluminal and mural alterations of the small bowel. Diagnostic imaging plays a major role in the study of the small bowel. The most appropriate diagnostic method should be selected, based on the clinical observations and on the availability of the technique.