Crohn disease of the small intestine: accuracy and relevance of enteroclysis.

The accuracy and clinical relevance of enteroclysis in the evaluation of 138 patients referred for enteroclysis for suspected Crohn disease of the small intestine are reported. The original prospective interpretations of enteroclysis results were assessed after a clinical follow-up period of 2 or more years. With all patients considered, enteroclysis had a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 100%, 98.3%, and 99.3%, respectively, with only one false-positive diagnosis and no false-negative diagnoses. Thirty-one percent (n = 43) of the patients had lesions of early Crohn disease. All patients who required surgery (n = 23) had advanced lesions of the disease, according to enteroclysis criteria. Clinical evidence of Crohn disease did not develop in the 58 patients in whom enteroclysis revealed no abnormality. There were no complications related to the procedure. It is concluded that enteroclysis is an accurate method for diagnosis and exclusion of Crohn disease of the small intestine and provides detailed structural information relevant to appropriate management of the disease.