Clinical Research Directory

Endoscopic Stricturotomy Versus Balloon Dilation for Small Bowel Fibrotic Strictures in Crohn's Disease

This multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial aims to compare the safety and immediate effectiveness of endoscopic stricturotomy (ES) and endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) for the treatment of small bowel fibrotic strictures in patients with Crohn's disease. Eligible participants with Crohn's disease and small bowel fibrotic strictures will be randomly assigned to receive either endoscopic stricturotomy or endoscopic balloon dilation. The study will compare procedure-related bleeding or perforation between the two treatment groups and will also evaluate immediate technical success, defined by whether the enteroscope can pass through the treated stricture after the procedure. The study is intended to provide clinical evidence on the safety and feasibility of endoscopic stricturotomy as an endoscopic treatment option for small bowel fibrotic strictures in Crohn's disease.

68Ga-FAPI-46 PET/CT for Assessing Small Bowel Fibrostenosis in Crohn's Disease

This study is a prospective, case-control study evaluating whether the PET radiotracer 68Ga-FAPI-46 can detect fibrostenosing Crohn's disease in the small bowel. The goal is to determine whether areas of early or developing fibrosis ("pre-stricture" changes) demonstrate uptake of the tracer, which binds to fibroblast activation protein (FAP). Participants with small bowel Crohn's disease will be assigned to either a case or control group based on CT or MR enterography findings at enrollment. Cases will include participants who have a small bowel stricture or probable stricture, with or without penetrating complications. Controls will include participants with small bowel Crohn's disease without strictures. Controls may have active inflammatory disease, luminal narrowing, or no active inflammation (including postoperative or chronic changes), as long as no stricture is present. Because most radiologic strictures represent more advanced fibrostenosis, the study aims to enroll a larger proportion of controls to better characterize early fibrotic changes. Approximately one-third to one-half of participants will be cases, and the remainder controls. This design will allow comparison of FAPI uptake patterns in patients with and without strictures to understand how FAP expression relates to the development of small bowel fibrosis.