<prompt> A 22-year-old man with inflammatory bowel disease is noted to have a string sign in the ileal area on barium enema. In which of the following conditions is this sign most often seen?in the stenotic or nonstenotic phase of the diseasein the stenotic phase onlyas a rigid, nondistensible phenomenonwith gastric involvement  <response>: a Source: Kasper, p. 1781 The string sign represents long areas of circumferential inflammation and fibrosis. It is seen in the stenotic and nonstenotic phase of Crohns disease. In addition to the string sign, abnormal puddling of barium and fistulous tracts are other helpful x-ray signs of ileitis. Other radiologic findings in Crohns disease include skip lesions, rectal sparing, small ulcerations, and fistulas. 