Progress in Imaging Evaluation of Fibrotic Intestinal Stenosis in Crohn's Disease

Intestinal stricture is a severe complication of Crohn's disease (CD), and the accurate differentiation of fibrotic strictures holds significant clinical value for guiding therapeutic decision-making. Due to the frequent difficulty in endoscopic passage caused by luminal narrowing, the assessment of lesions and tissue biopsy are often limited. In contrast, cross-sectional imaging techniques not only provide a comprehensive evaluation of intestinal lesions but also reveal extraintestinal changes, offering critical evidence for clinical decisions. With the rapid advancement of imaging technology, various novel radiological methods have emerged, providing new approaches for the assessment of intestinal fibrosis in CD strictures. Through a literature review, this article summarizes the latest research progress in advanced imaging techniques, including ultrasound elastography, magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) diffusion-weighted imaging, magnetization transfer MRI, and fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI)- positron emission computed tomography(PET). Additionally, it explores the potential applications and future directions of artificial intelligence and radiomics in the detection and grading of CD-associated fibrosis.