MR Enterography in Delhi 2026

If you have Crohn’s disease, or are being investigated for it, an MR enterography is probably the single most informative scan you will have — and you will likely have it more than once. That second fact is exactly why this study exists in the form it does.

Crohn’s disease is usually diagnosed young, often in the teens or twenties, and it is monitored for life. Someone diagnosed at twenty-two may need imaging every couple of years for the next forty. If every one of those scans were a CT, the accumulated radiation dose would become a genuine concern in its own right. MR enterography answers the same questions with no ionising radiation at all, which is why gastroenterologists have moved to it as the default for anyone who will need repeated assessment.

This page explains what the scan involves — including the preparation, which is the hardest part and which nobody warns patients about properly — what it can tell your doctor that an endoscopy cannot, and how to make sense of the report.

What MR enterography actually is

MR enterography is an MRI of the small intestine, performed after you have drunk a large volume of a special oral solution that distends the bowel from the inside.

The distension is not optional detail; it is the whole trick. A collapsed loop of small bowel has thick-looking, crumpled walls that are impossible to assess. You cannot tell a genuinely thickened, inflamed wall from a normal wall that happens to be folded. Fill the bowel and flatten it out, and the wall thickness becomes measurable, the lining becomes visible, and a narrowed segment stands out against the distended loops on either side.

The oral agent used is usually what radiologists call biphasic — it appears dark on one type of image sequence and bright on another. That is deliberate. Dark lumen contrast makes an enhancing, inflamed bowel wall stand out brilliantly after the gadolinium injection; bright lumen contrast shows the overall shape and calibre of the bowel beautifully. One agent, two complementary views.

You may also see the term MR enteroclysis. That is the older variant where the contrast is delivered directly into the small bowel through a tube passed via the nose. It gives superb distension but is genuinely unpleasant, and oral enterography has largely replaced it for routine use.

Why your doctor has ordered it

Suspected Crohn’s disease — establishing the diagnosis, and crucially mapping how much of the small bowel is involved and where.
Assessing disease activity in known Crohn’s — is the inflammation currently active, and how severe.
Looking for complications — strictures, fistulas, sinus tracts, abscesses and phlegmon.
Monitoring response to treatment — comparing before and after starting or changing a biologic or immunosuppressant.
Before surgery — mapping exactly which segments are diseased and how long they are, so that as little bowel as possible is removed.
Distinguishing an inflammatory stricture from a fibrotic one, which is probably the most treatment-changing question on this page. More on it below.
Small bowel tumours — neuroendocrine tumours, gastrointestinal stromal tumours, lymphoma, adenocarcinoma. The small bowel is notoriously hard to examine and these are easily missed elsewhere.
Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding where upper and lower endoscopy have both been normal.
Complications of coeliac disease, including ulcerative jejunitis and lymphoma.
Polyposis syndromes such as Peutz-Jeghers, where the small bowel needs periodic surveillance.
Before capsule endoscopy — specifically to exclude a stricture, because a capsule can become impacted above a narrowing. This is a recognised and important use.
Suspected recurrence at a surgical anastomosis after previous bowel resection.

What MR enterography sees that an endoscopy cannot

This is worth being clear about, because patients often assume a colonoscopy has already answered everything.

An endoscope sees the inner lining only, and it can only reach so far — the terminal ileum from below, the duodenum and proximal jejunum from above. The several metres of small bowel in between are out of reach of a standard scope.

MR enterography sees the full thickness of the bowel wall, and everything outside it. That difference is clinically enormous. Crohn’s disease is transmural — it involves the whole wall thickness and frequently tracks beyond it. The findings that change management most often are outside the lumen altogether: a fistula burrowing between two loops of bowel, an abscess in the mesentery, a sinus tract heading towards the skin, engorged mesenteric vessels indicating active inflammation. An endoscope cannot see a single one of those.

The two tests are complementary, not competing. Endoscopy gives direct mucosal views and tissue samples; enterography gives wall thickness, disease length, extramural complications and the segments a scope cannot reach.

Active inflammation versus fibrotic stricture: the question that changes treatment

If you read only one section of this page, read this one.

A Crohn’s patient with cramping pain, bloating and vomiting after meals has a narrowed segment of bowel. The narrowing can be caused by two completely different things, and they require opposite treatments.

An inflammatory stricture is narrowed because the wall is swollen and inflamed. Suppress the inflammation with medical treatment and the lumen can reopen. Surgery is avoidable.

A fibrotic stricture is narrowed because the wall has been replaced by scar tissue. No amount of anti-inflammatory treatment will reopen scar. These need endoscopic dilatation or surgery.

Many strictures are mixed, with both components present. Working out the proportion is one of the main reasons MR enterography is preferred over CT, because MRI’s soft-tissue contrast separates oedema from fibrosis far better.

The features the radiologist weighs up:

Pointing towards active inflammation: wall thickening with high signal on fluid-sensitive (T2) sequences indicating oedema; strong wall enhancement after gadolinium, often in a layered pattern; ulceration of the lining; the comb sign — engorged straight mesenteric vessels lined up like teeth of a comb, feeding the inflamed segment; stranding of the surrounding mesenteric fat; enlarged local lymph nodes; restricted diffusion on DWI sequences.
Pointing towards fibrosis: wall thickening without much T2 signal or oedema; relatively low, late enhancement; a narrowed lumen with dilated bowel upstream; absence of the comb sign; no surrounding inflammatory change.

MaRIA and the other scores in your report

Describing inflammation as “moderate” is too vague to track over time, so formal scoring systems were developed. The most widely used in MRI is the MaRIA score — the Magnetic Resonance Index of Activity.

MaRIA converts objective measurements into a number for each bowel segment. The components are the measured wall thickness, the degree of wall enhancement after contrast relative to a reference, the presence of wall oedema on fluid-sensitive images, and the presence of ulceration. Segment scores can be summed for a whole-bowel figure.

A simplified MaRIA is also in use, designed to be quicker and to avoid the enhancement calculation. You may also encounter the Clermont score, which uses diffusion-weighted imaging instead of contrast enhancement, or the London score.

What matters to you as a patient is not the arithmetic but the purpose: a number lets your gastroenterologist compare this scan against your last one honestly. “Looks a bit better” is an impression; a scored reduction in a specific segment is evidence that a biologic is working. This is also exactly why follow-up scans are best done on a consistent protocol — a change in technique can shift the score without the disease changing at all.

Scores guide clinicians; they do not dictate treatment, and they should always be read alongside your symptoms, your bloods and your endoscopy findings.

Penetrating complications: what the scan is looking for beyond the bowel

Sinus tract — a blind-ending track burrowing out from the bowel wall into surrounding tissue. Often the first stage before a fistula forms.
Fistula — an abnormal connection. It may run between two loops of bowel (enteroenteric), to the skin (enterocutaneous), to the bladder (enterovesical, which causes recurrent urinary infection and sometimes air in the urine), or to the vagina. MRI shows these well, which is a major advantage.
Abscess — a walled-off collection of pus. Identifying one is urgent, because starting certain immunosuppressive treatments in the presence of an undrained abscess is hazardous. This is one of the most important safety findings on the whole study.
Phlegmon — inflamed, infiltrated tissue that has not yet formed a drainable abscess.
Perforation and free fluid.

If the disease involves the area around the anus rather than the small bowel, the correct study is a different one — our page on the MR fistulogram for anal fistula covers perianal Crohn’s and fistula mapping, which uses a dedicated pelvic protocol. Many patients with Crohn’s need both studies at different times, and they are not substitutes for each other.

MR enterography versus CT enterography: an honest comparison

Both distend the bowel with oral contrast and then image it. The difference is the imaging technology, and each has clear territory.

MR enterography is better when:

The patient is young and will be imaged repeatedly. This is the decisive argument. No radiation means no cumulative dose over decades of surveillance.
Separating inflammation from fibrosis matters — MRI’s soft-tissue contrast is simply superior for this.
Fistulas and sinus tracts need mapping.
Motility information is useful — MRI can acquire cine sequences showing the bowel moving in real time, which demonstrates functionally significant strictures and areas that have stopped contracting.
The patient is pregnant — with the gadolinium question handled separately by the treating doctor.

CT enterography is better when:

The situation is acute. Suspected perforation, acute obstruction, acute severe abdominal pain — CT is fast and decisive.
The patient cannot stay still or cannot hold their breath reliably. MRI is far more motion-sensitive.
There is an MRI contraindication — certain pacemakers, implants or devices.
Availability or cost is the constraint. CT is quicker, cheaper and more widely available.

Our page on CT enterography in Delhi covers that study fully, and MRI versus CT compares the modalities in general. The short version: if you have a long-term inflammatory bowel condition and the scan is planned rather than urgent, MR enterography is usually the right choice. If you are acutely unwell, CT is.

Preparation: the honest version

This is the part patients find hardest, and being told clearly in advance makes it much more manageable.

Fasting. Typically four to six hours of no solid food before the appointment. Follow the exact instruction your centre gives, because protocols vary. Some centres also advise a low-residue diet the day before.
The drinking. On arrival you will be given a large volume of oral contrast solution — commonly in the region of a litre to a litre and a half — to drink steadily over roughly 45 to 60 minutes before the scan. This is the genuinely difficult part. The solution is not unpleasant in taste so much as in volume, and because it is designed not to be absorbed, it can cause a feeling of fullness, bloating, cramping and sometimes loose motions afterwards.
Why you must not skip it. Under-distended bowel is the commonest reason an MR enterography turns out non-diagnostic. If you stop drinking halfway, the loops stay collapsed, the wall cannot be measured, and the scan may have to be repeated. Pace yourself, keep sipping steadily rather than gulping, and tell the staff if you genuinely cannot continue — they would much rather adjust than scan an empty bowel.
Allow enough time. Budget around two hours in total for the whole appointment, most of it spent drinking and waiting.
Kidney function. Gadolinium is usually given, so bring a recent serum creatinine or eGFR report.
Anti-peristaltic injection. A drug such as hyoscine butylbromide is often given to temporarily quiet bowel movement so the images are not blurred by peristalsis. Tell the staff if you have glaucoma, difficulty passing urine or an enlarged prostate, or a heart rhythm problem — these affect whether it can be used.
Bring previous imaging and reports — earlier MR or CT enterography, endoscopy and histology reports. In Crohn’s disease, comparison over time is the most valuable thing in the report.
Bring your medication list, including any biologic and when your last dose was. It changes how the findings are interpreted.
Complete the MRI safety form carefully — see the next section.
Plan your journey home. Loose motions for a few hours afterwards are common. A long commute immediately after is not ideal.

MRI safety screening

MRI uses a permanently-on, very strong magnetic field. The risk is metal and electronics, not radiation. Declare all of the following:

Cardiac pacemaker, implanted defibrillator or loop recorder.
Cochlear implant or any implanted hearing device.
Aneurysm clips or coils.
Implanted pumps and stimulators — insulin pump, spinal cord or nerve stimulator.
Surgical clips, plates, screws, rods, joint replacements and stents, including any from previous bowel surgery.
Metallic foreign body, especially a metal fragment injury to the eye.
Permanent eye makeup and tattoos with metallic pigment.
Intrauterine device.
Pregnancy, particularly the first trimester.
Kidney disease, since gadolinium is usually used.
Claustrophobia, so it can be planned for rather than discovered inside the scanner.

Surgical clips from a previous bowel resection are extremely common in this patient group and are almost always MRI-safe — but they must still be declared so the centre knows what to expect on the images.

How the scan itself is performed

Safety screening and consent.
Drinking the oral contrast over roughly 45 to 60 minutes, usually in a waiting area, in measured amounts at set intervals.
Cannula. An intravenous line is placed for the gadolinium and, if used, the anti-peristaltic drug.
Positioning. You lie either face down or face up. Prone positioning is often preferred for enterography because lying on your front gently compresses the abdomen, separating the bowel loops and reducing the effect of breathing on the images. It feels odd but it genuinely improves image quality.
Breath-holds. Several sequences require you to hold your breath for 15 to 20 seconds. You will be coached through each one.
Cine sequences. Some protocols include rapid repeated images of the same slice to show the bowel contracting, which demonstrates motility and functionally significant strictures.
Anti-peristaltic injection, given before the key sequences.
Gadolinium injection, followed by timed post-contrast sequences.
Image check before you are released, so that a poorly distended segment can be re-imaged if needed.

Expect 30 to 45 minutes inside the scanner, on top of the drinking time.

If closed MRI is difficult for you

An abdominal MRI means your torso is inside the bore, with breath-holds required. For someone claustrophobic that combination is demanding. Say so at the time of booking — an abandoned scan after an hour of drinking contrast is a genuinely miserable outcome.

Our pages on open MRI in Delhi and open versus closed MRI explain the options and the trade-offs honestly, including where a closed scanner still produces better images.

Reading your report: a plain-English glossary

Mural thickening — the bowel wall is thicker than normal. Normal small bowel wall is thin, so a measurement above roughly 3 mm in a well-distended loop is usually called thickened.
Mural hyperenhancement — the wall brightens strongly after contrast. A marker of active inflammation.
Stratified / layered enhancement — distinct layers visible in the enhancing wall, typically seen in active inflammation.
T2 hyperintensity / mural oedema — fluid within the wall, seen as bright signal on fluid-sensitive sequences. Another activity marker.
Comb sign — engorged straight mesenteric vessels running to an inflamed segment, resembling the teeth of a comb. Strongly suggests active disease.
Creeping fat / fibrofatty proliferation — mesenteric fat wrapping around a chronically diseased segment.
Skip lesions — diseased segments separated by normal bowel. Characteristic of Crohn’s and one of the ways it is distinguished from ulcerative colitis.
Stricture — a narrowed segment. The report should say whether there is dilatation upstream, which indicates it is functionally significant rather than just narrow on one image.
Prestenotic dilatation — bowel ballooned above a narrowing. Evidence the stricture actually obstructs.
Sinus tract — a blind-ending track out from the bowel wall.
Fistula — an abnormal connection to another structure.
Phlegmon — inflamed infiltrated tissue without a drainable collection.
Abscess — a walled-off pus collection.
Restricted diffusion — a DWI finding that supports active inflammation.
Cobblestoning — a paving-stone appearance of the lining produced by crossing ulcers with swollen mucosa between them.
Terminal ileum — the last part of the small bowel before the colon, and the commonest site of Crohn’s disease.
Anastomosis — a surgical join between two pieces of bowel. A frequent site of recurrence, so it is always examined specifically.

One caveat worth holding onto: a suboptimally distended segment is a limitation, not a diagnosis. If the report says a loop was poorly distended, that means the scan could not assess it — not that it is normal. Ask your doctor whether it matters in your case.

Limitations, stated plainly

It depends on you drinking enough. Under-distension is the commonest cause of a limited study.
It is motion-sensitive. Breathing, peristalsis and movement all degrade the images more than they would on CT.
It takes time. Around two hours door to door, versus well under an hour for CT enterography.
It is not an emergency test. Acute severe pain, suspected perforation or acute obstruction need CT.
It needs gadolinium in most protocols, so kidney function matters.
It cannot sample tissue. A diagnosis of Crohn’s disease is made on the whole picture — symptoms, bloods, endoscopy, histology and imaging together. No scan alone makes it.
Mild mucosal disease can be missed. Early, superficial inflammation is better seen endoscopically.

After the scan

The oral contrast is not absorbed, so it passes straight through. Expect some bloating and loose motions for a few hours; this is normal and settles. Drink normal fluids to stay hydrated. If an anti-peristaltic injection was given, you may have transient blurred vision or a dry mouth for a short period, so do not drive until that has fully cleared — ask the staff before you leave.

Collect a digital copy of the images, not just the printed report. And keep it: in Crohn’s disease, the comparison between this scan and the next one is where most of the clinical value lies.

What MR enterography costs in Delhi

The price of an MR enterography in Delhi depends on real variables: whether contrast is included, which oral contrast agent and volume is used, whether cine motility sequences and diffusion-weighted imaging are part of the protocol, whether formal activity scoring is reported, the scanner used, whether a radiologist’s report and digital copy are included, and whether a kidney function test has to be done on site first.

Because of that we do not publish a fixed figure here that could be out of date by the time you read it, or that might not match what your prescription asks for. The quickest way to get an accurate, all-inclusive number is to send us a photo of your prescription on WhatsApp. You will get today’s actual price for exactly the study your gastroenterologist has specified, along with the next available slot and the full preparation instructions, before you travel.

Send your prescription on WhatsApp for today’s MR enterography price → | Call 9555999960

For a wider view across MRI studies see our MRI scan cost in Delhi page, and for CT comparison our CT scan cost page.

Getting an MR enterography in West Delhi

At Edge Imaging & Diagnostics, a NABH-accredited diagnostic centre in Paschim Vihar, West Delhi, MR enterography is performed as a dedicated small bowel protocol with supervised oral contrast administration, fluid-sensitive and post-contrast sequences, and reported by a radiologist rather than returned as images alone.

Practical points worth knowing:

Book a morning slot. The study needs fasting followed by an hour of drinking, which is far easier first thing than in the afternoon.
Tell us the clinical question. New diagnosis, activity assessment on a biologic, pre-surgical mapping, and excluding a stricture before capsule endoscopy are different emphases. What is written on the prescription genuinely changes the protocol.
Kidney function on site. Pathology is in the same building, so arriving without a recent creatinine does not have to mean rescheduling.
Bring your previous scans and endoscopy reports. In Crohn’s disease the comparison is the most valuable part of the report.
Open MRI available if closed scanners are difficult for you.
Everything under one roof — MRI, CT, ultrasound, digital X-ray and pathology. If your doctor has also asked for a whole abdomen ultrasound, an MRCP or a FibroScan, they can be arranged in the same visit.
Open on Sunday — see our Sunday diagnostic centre page.
CGHS and DGHS empanelled — details on our empanelment page.
Where patients travel from — Paschim Vihar, Rajouri Garden, Tagore Garden, Punjabi Bagh, Janakpuri, Tilak Nagar, Vikas Puri, Moti Nagar, Nangloi and Raghubir Nagar. See our West Delhi diagnostic centre and Rajouri Garden pages.

Frequently asked questions

Is an MR enterography painful?

Not painful, but it is demanding. There is one cannula in the arm for contrast. The difficult parts are drinking a large volume of oral solution over about an hour, the bloating and cramping that can follow, and lying still with breath-holds for 30 to 45 minutes. There is no pain from the magnet itself.

How much do I have to drink, and can I skip part of it?

Commonly around a litre to a litre and a half over 45 to 60 minutes, in measured amounts. Please do not skip it. Under-distended bowel is the single commonest reason the scan turns out non-diagnostic, because a collapsed loop cannot be assessed and may have to be re-imaged on another day. Sip steadily rather than gulping, and tell the staff if you truly cannot continue so they can adjust.

Why does MR enterography take so long?

Because most of the time is preparation, not scanning. The bowel has to be filled and distended before any useful image can be taken, and that takes about an hour of drinking. Allow roughly two hours for the whole appointment.

Do I need to fast?

Yes, usually four to six hours without solid food, and some centres also advise a low-residue diet the day before. Follow the exact instruction your centre gives you, because protocols differ.

Does MR enterography use radiation?

No. MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves, with no ionising radiation at all. This is the main reason it is preferred over CT enterography for people with Crohn’s disease, who are typically diagnosed young and need repeated imaging over many years.

Is MR enterography better than CT enterography?

For planned assessment of inflammatory bowel disease, usually yes — no radiation, better separation of inflammation from fibrosis, better fistula mapping, and the ability to show bowel motility. For acute situations such as suspected perforation or acute obstruction, CT is better because it is faster and less affected by movement. CT is also the right choice when MRI is contraindicated or the patient cannot hold still.

Will I need an injection as well as the drink?

Usually yes — two, in fact. Gadolinium contrast is given intravenously for most protocols, and a drug to temporarily quiet bowel movement is often given so peristalsis does not blur the images. Both go through the same cannula.

Why do I have to lie on my front?

Prone positioning gently compresses the abdomen, which separates the bowel loops and reduces the effect of breathing on the images. It feels unusual but it genuinely improves image quality for this particular study. Some protocols use supine positioning instead.

What is a MaRIA score?

The Magnetic Resonance Index of Activity — a scoring system that turns objective measurements into a number for each bowel segment, based on wall thickness, wall enhancement, wall oedema and ulceration. Its purpose is comparison: it lets your gastroenterologist judge honestly whether disease activity has improved since your last scan, rather than relying on impressions. It guides treatment decisions but does not dictate them.

Can MR enterography tell whether my stricture needs surgery?

It gives the information that decision rests on. A stricture that is mainly inflamed may reopen with medical treatment; one that is mainly scar tissue will not and usually needs dilatation or surgery. MRI separates those better than CT because of its soft-tissue contrast. The decision itself belongs to your gastroenterologist and surgeon, who will weigh the scan alongside your symptoms and endoscopy.

Can it replace my colonoscopy?

No, and it is not meant to. An endoscope gives direct views of the lining and can take tissue samples; MR enterography shows the full thickness of the wall, everything outside it, and the long stretches of small bowel a scope cannot reach. They answer different questions and are usually used together.

Why is MR enterography done before a capsule endoscopy?

To exclude a stricture. A capsule can become impacted above a narrowed segment, which is a serious complication. Imaging the small bowel first establishes whether it is safe to proceed.

Can I have MR enterography if I have had bowel surgery?

Yes, and it is one of the main uses — looking for recurrence at the surgical join, which is a common site. Declare your surgical clips and any implants on the safety form; clips from bowel surgery are almost always MRI-safe but the centre needs to know.

Can I have it during pregnancy?

Tell the staff before anything else. MRI itself uses no radiation, which is an advantage over CT, but scanning in pregnancy still needs a clear clinical justification and gadolinium contrast is generally avoided. The decision belongs to your treating doctor.

What are the side effects afterwards?

Bloating and loose motions for a few hours are common and expected, because the oral contrast is designed not to be absorbed. If an anti-peristaltic injection was given you may have brief blurred vision or a dry mouth, so do not drive until that has cleared — check with the staff before leaving.

I am claustrophobic. Can I still have this scan?

Yes, but plan for it when you book rather than discovering it after an hour of drinking contrast. An open or wide-bore scanner removes most of the enclosure. An early slot, a companion, eyes closed before entering and the call button in your hand all help.

My report says a segment was poorly distended. Does that mean it is normal?

No — it means that segment could not be properly assessed. It is a limitation, not a reassurance. Ask your doctor whether the segment in question matters for your case and whether it needs re-imaging.

How soon will I get the report?

Ask when you book. At Edge Imaging & Diagnostics a routine MR enterography report is normally available the same day, with urgent studies reported faster. Carry a digital copy of the images to your gastroenterology appointment, not just the printed report.

Should my follow-up scan be at the same centre?

Where practical, yes. Activity scoring and segment measurements are only genuinely comparable when the protocol, the oral agent, the sequences and the measurement technique are consistent, and when the reporting radiologist has the previous study in front of them.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Nishant Thapar, Consultant Radiologist and Founder, Edge Imaging & Diagnostics, West Delhi. Last reviewed: October 2026.

Disclaimer: This article is general patient information and does not replace a consultation. Imaging findings must always be interpreted together with your symptoms, blood tests, endoscopy and histology by the doctor treating you. A diagnosis of Crohn’s disease is never made on a scan alone. Decisions about medication, dilatation or surgery belong to your treating gastroenterologist and surgeon. Fasting, oral contrast, gadolinium, anti-peristaltic medication and MRI safety decisions must be made by the centre and your doctor for your individual situation. Do not start, stop or change any treatment on the basis of this page.