Sharing Anonymized MRI Data to Develop Computer Tools for Small Bowel Assessment in Crohns Disease

What this Trial Is About

Crohns disease involves abnormal immune responses in the bowel wall, causing thickening, narrowing, abnormal connections, motility issues, and infections. Radiological imaging of the small bowel is essential for diagnosis, assessing disease activity, and guiding treatment. Magnetic resonance imaging MRI is a safe and well-tolerated method widely used to evaluate the small bowel without radiation exposure. Currently, radiologists manually measure disease features on MRI, which is time-consuming and challenging. This study aims to develop computer software to accurately assess the small bowel using MRI by sharing anonymized MRI datasets and clinical data from patients with and without Crohns disease. The investigators plan to share fully anonymized MRI datasets and relevant clinical information, such as blood tests, endoscopic findings, and histology, collected from routine clinical practice at University College Hospital since 2005. Collaborative partners include the Centre for Medical Image Computing at University College London and a European consortium. A total of 375 datasets will be shared for software development, including both normal and abnormal small bowel examinations. The study will use retrospective data collected as part of ongoing ethically approved projects. Participants anonymized MRI data and clinical test results will be used to develop and validate computer software that extracts bowel features from MRI scans. The primary outcome is to create software capable of accurately identifying the bowel in MRI datasets over approximately 10 years. Only authorized staff involved in the original research will access the datasets, ensuring confidentiality and adherence to good clinical practice and research governance.

Anonymous Data Sharing for Small Bowel