Nononcologic applications of diffusion-weighted imaging in the gastrointestinal system.

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to review infectious, inflammatory, and auto-immune-mediated processes in the gastrointestinal system where diffusion-weighted imaging can be helpful as well as pitfalls associated with its use. Diffusion-weighted imaging has become an important and widely used tool in abdominal and pelvic MRI, but it has been used primarily for oncologic applications. As more body MRI protocols are routinely including diffusion-weighted imaging, this sequence can be useful in evaluating an increasing number of nononcologic processes.