Cure8 research brief
Clear, reproducible ultrasound definitions for transmural healing and response could help clinicians track deeper intestinal healing beyond mucosal assessment and allow trials to use consistent imaging endpoints.
Clinicians using intestinal ultrasound, researchers designing IUS-based endpoints in Crohn’s disease trials, and patients/caregivers interested in imaging markers of deep healing (including pediatric IBD specialists).
The review included 83 studies (over 8,000 patients) but found wide variation in definitions. Most TMH definitions used bowel-wall thickness (BWT) ≤3 mm and absent/minimal Doppler flow; fewer included preserved wall stratification.
All TMR definitions required a BWT reduction, but thresholds varied (absolute ≥1 mm or relative ≥25% were common), and some studies also required Doppler improvement. Pediatric criteria were rarely reported and often extrapolated from adult values.
The authors conclude that standardized, validated IUS criteria for TMH and TMR are lacking, which limits comparability across studies and wider use of IUS endpoints in treat-to-target strategies and trials.
This is a systematic review summarizing criteria reported across studies; heterogeneity prevented quantitative pooling. Pediatric-specific IUS thresholds are sparse and often extrapolated from adult data. The article is full-text and peer-reviewed in Inflamm Bowel Dis.
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