Sellink-MRI | MRT of the abdomen

Sellink-MRI

The MRI sellink examination is a special MRI examination of the small intestine. The duodenum and large intestine can be easily seen with an endoscope, but the remaining part of the small intestine is not accessible with an endoscope, so that the MRI must be used for this purpose. This is possible with the Sellink technique.

It is mainly used to clarify chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.In order for the small intestine to be well assessed in the MRI, laxative measures are necessary before the examination: a light breakfast may be taken the day before, followed by a laxative procedure so that the intestine is free of stool residue for the examination. On the day of the examination itself, the patient must remain fasting. At the beginning of the examination, the patient is given a contrast medium, which is applied through a probe that is inserted into the small intestine.

The contrast medium now wets the mucosa and makes it visible in the subsequent MRI image. To prevent the intestinal walls from touching each other, a methyl cellulose mixture must be administered via the probe. This expands the intestine so that it can be easily assessed in all its proportions.

During the administration of the two solutions, images are already taken. In the process, disturbances of the peristalsis of the intestine can also be detected. Overall, the procedure is low-risk. Due to the methyl cellulose solution, flatulence and abdominal pain may occur in some cases, but these disappear after a short time.

MRI of the stomach

The stomach can also be assessed by MRI. For example, tumors of the stomach or anatomical anomalies can be detected. However, for the specific examination of the gastrointestinal tract by MRI, special images are required to better assess the mucous membrane.

For this purpose, the Sellink MRI examination can be used, in which contrast medium is applied directly into the gastrointestinal tract. This directly wets the mucosa. A methyl cellulose mixture then expands the intestine so that the intestinal walls do not lie against each other.

The structures can then be assessed in the MRI. In order to specifically assess the stomach mucosa, however, gastroscopy (gastroscopy) is more suitable than an MRI examination.