ORIGINAL ARTICLE MR enterography under the age of 10 years: a single institutional experience Brett J. Mollard 1 & Ethan A. Smith 2 & Manda E. Lai 3 & Thuy Phan 3 & Robert E. Christensen 3 & Jonathan R. Dillman 2 Received: 7 April 2015 /Revised: 3 June 2015 /Accepted: 6 July 2015 # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015 Abstract Background MR enterography (MRE) plays a major role in the imaging of pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) but can be challenging to perform in young children. Objective To review our institutional experience regarding the performance of MRE in children younger than 10 years of age, including the use of general anesthesia (GA). Materials and methods Institutional review board approval was obtained. Radiology and anesthesia records were searched to identify MRE exams in children younger than 10 years old between June 2009 and May 2013. The following information was documented: demographics, indications for MRE, use of GA, imaging diagnoses, and documented GA-related side ef- fects or adverse events. Imaging was reviewed to document study length, quality and progression of oral contrast material. Results One hundred six children (59 boys [56%]) younger than 10 years old underwent 119 MRE examinations (age range: 1 month to 9 years, 11 months). Common indications for MRE included known IBD (42%) and suspected IBD (38%). One hundred ten (92%) examinations were performed under GA. Mean exam length was 52±13 min for GA patients with a range of 31–113 min. Median time under GA was 155 min. Oral contrast material reached the terminal ileum in 31%. Side effects/adverse events associated with GA were uncommon and minor, including transient nausea in 13 chil- dren (11%) and emesis in 9 (8%). Conclusion Diagnostic-quality MRE can be performed suc- cessfully in young children. The majority of MRE exams were performed under GA, with only occasional minor side effects/ adverse events. Keywords Children . Crohn disease . General anesthesia . Inflammatory bowel disease . Magnetic resonance enterography . Oral contrast Introduction Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing in inci- dence in children, both in the United States and Europe [1–5]. Early and accurate diagnosis is critical to initiate appropriate medical and surgical therapies. CT enterography (CTE) and MR enterography (MRE) are fre- quently utilized imaging tests for the evaluation of pediat- ric IBD [6–9]. Unlike CTE, MRE spares children from potential risks associated with exposure to ionizing radia- tion, and may be of even greater benefit in patients with known or suspected IBD, given the frequent necessity for follow-up imaging and the relative increased risk of malig- nancy in these patients [10, 11]. At our institution, MRE has become the standard imaging test for the diagnosis and follow-up of IBD and is also used as an imaging biomarker for response to medical therapy. MRE is also routinely performed to identify numerous suspected IBD-related complications, such as fistulas, abscesses and strictures. * Ethan A. Smith ethans@med.umich.edu 1 Department of Radiology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA 2 Section of Pediatric Radiology, Department of Radiology, C.S. Mott Children’ s Hospital, University of Michigan Health System, 1540 E. Hospital Dr., SPC 4252, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-4252, USA 3 Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Pediatr Radiol DOI 10.1007/s00247-015-3431-8