Crohn's disease is a chronic, incurable inflammatory bowel disease with an unpredictable course, characterized by alternating remission and inflammatory flares. Current follow-up strategies are poorly suited to early flare detection, leading to uncontrolled disease progression and complications. A major clinical challenge is distinguishing reversible inflammatory activity from irreversible intestinal fibrosis, as existing imaging techniques lack specificity. This study aims to perform comprehensive ex vivo multiparametric MRI, combined with biophysical measurements and histopathology, on resected intestinal specimens to precisely map inflammation and fibrosis and to validate in vivo MRI-derived biomarkers for personalized therapeutic decision-making.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
60
CHRU Nancy
Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France
Ex vivo MRI assessment of intestinal biophysical properties - T2 relaxometry
Measurement of T2 relaxometry (ms) of resected intestinal tissue using ex vivo MRI.
Time frame: Baseline (J0): day of surgery
Ex vivo MRI assessment of intestinal biophysical properties - T1 relaxometry
Measurement of T1 relaxometry (ms) of resected intestinal tissue using ex vivo MRI.
Time frame: Baseline (J0): day of surgery
Ex vivo MRI assessment of intestinal electrical properties - conductivity
Measurement of tissue conductivity (S/m) using MR electrical properties tomography (MR-EPT).
Time frame: Baseline (J0): day of surgery
Ex vivo MRI assessment of intestinal electrical properties - permittivity
Measurement of tissue relative permittivity (unitless) using MR electrical properties tomography (MR-EPT).
Time frame: Baseline (J0): day of surgery
Ex vivo MRI assessment of intestinal mechanical properties - elastography
Measurement of tissue stiffness (kPa) using magnetic resonance elastography.
Time frame: Baseline (J0): day of surgery
Histopathological quantification of intestinal fibrosis - total area
Measurement of fibrotic area (mm²) on the entire histological section from the area of maximal stenosis.
Time frame: Baseline (J0): day of surgery
Histopathological quantification of intestinal inflammation - total area
Measurement of inflammatory area (mm²) on the entire histological section from the area of maximal stenosis.
Time frame: Baseline (J0): day of surgery
Association between ex vivo and in vivo MRI lesion characteristics
Correlation between lesion properties measured ex vivo and in vivo MRI parameters of the same lesions.
Time frame: Baseline (J0): day of surgery
Association between intestinal lesion characteristics and clinical events
Correlation between in vivo MRI-derived intestinal lesion characteristics and occurrence of clinical events (emergency visits for abdominal pain, hospitalizations for digestive causes, additional intestinal resection) within 12 months post-surgery.
Time frame: 12 months post-surgery
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