Magnetic Resonance Enterography: The Test of Choice in Diagnosing Intestinal “Zebras”

Small bowel tumors and other rare intestinal disorders are often exceedingly difficult to identify. Even cutting-edge technologies, such as push enteroscopy and capsule endoscopy, can fail to determine the cause of a patient's symptoms. At our institution magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) has become an increasingly reliable tool in the difficult-to-diagnose or difficult-to-monitor patient. In this retrospective case series, we discuss four patients with four rare intestinal disorders that were successfully diagnosed using MRE after failing to be diagnosed using more routine technologies, such as CT scans and flexible sigmoidoscopies. With the discussion of these four cases we demonstrate that MRE is a useful diagnostic modality in patients whose surveillance is difficult or to diagnose rare colorectal disease phenomena, colloquially referred to as “zebras.”