Early MRI Prediction of Crohns

The investigators plan to evaluate novel MRI techniques to measure: 1) mesenteric/intestinal
blood flow using phase-contrast cine MRI, 2) intestinal motility (peristalsis) using dynamic
cine MRI, and 3) bowel wall perfusion and molecular water diffusion. Precise objective
measurements of diseased bowel blood flow (in ml/min) and bowel motility (in contractions per
minute) are not currently used in the clinical care of CD patients, while diffusion-weighted
imaging is typically used in a qualitative manner. None of these techniques have been
evaluated for predicting eventual response to therapy or correlated with endoscopic mucosal
healing in pediatric or adult CD.

Inclusion Criteria:

Healthy Control Group

-Be able to tolerate up to 45 minutes in an MRI scanner

Newly Diagnosed Crohns Group

- Newly diagnosed, pathology-confirmed diagnosis of small bowel Crohn's disease,

- Expected to receive infliximab (Remicade; Janssen Biotech, Inc.) or other anti-Tumor
Necrosis Factor (anti-TNF) medical therapy,

- Between 11 to 25 years of age and able to assent/consent,

- Be available for follow-up MRI at 4-weeks and 6-months after the initiation of
treatment,

- Be able to tolerate up to 45 minutes in an MRI scanner.

Exclusion Criteria:

Healthy Control Group

- Inability to obtain assent/consent,

- Inability to tolerate 45 minutes in an MRI scanner,

- Contraindication to MRI (e.g., MRI incompatible implant or support device),

- Previous (remote) diagnosis or treatment of inflammatory bowel disease or other
intestinal disease,

- History of intra-abdominal surgery, including surgery on the intestine,

- Pregnancy. Point-of-care urine pregnancy testing will be performed on all female study
participants of reproductive potential (pediatric and adult) prior to each research
MRI exam.

Newly Diagnosed Crohns Group

- Inability to obtain assent/consent,

- Inability to tolerate 45 minutes in an MRI scanner,

- Contraindication to MRI (e.g., MRI incompatible implant or support device),

- Previous (remote) diagnosis or treatment of inflammatory bowel disease,

- History of intra-abdominal surgery, including surgery on the intestine,

- Known bleeding disorder/coagulopathy (contraindication for adult subjects, as this may
increase the risk of research colonoscopy),

- Pregnancy. Point-of-care urine pregnancy testing will be performed on all female study
participants of reproductive potential (pediatric and adult) prior to each research
MRI exam.