| Crohn disease | Intestinal tuberculosis |
Clinical manifestations | | - High-swinging fever (>38.5°C) in absence of intraabdominal abscess
- Evidence of pulmonary TB on chest radiograph
|
Radiographic findings (CT/MRI) | - Symmetrical bowel wall thickening
- Mesenteric fibrofatty proliferation (creeping fat)
- Mesenteric vascular engorgement (comb sign)
- Small homogenous pericecal lymph nodes
| - Asymmetrical bowel wall thickening
- Inflammatory mass centered around the cecum and enveloping the terminal ileum
- Large mesenteric nodes with necrotic centers
- Ascites
|
Endoscopic findings | - Longitudinal ulcers
- Aphthous ulcers
- Cobblestoned mucosa
- Preservation of ileocecal valve
- Multiple skip lesions
- Anorectal lesions
| - Transverse ulcers
- Hypertrophic mucosa
- Scars/fibrous bands/inflammatory polyps
- Gaping/destruction of ileocecal valve
- Hyperemic nodules
|
Histopathologic findings | - Single granulomas
- Architectural distortion distant from granulomatous inflammation
| - Caseating granulomas or positive acid-fast bacilli staining*
- Confluent (≥5/biopsy) and large (diameter >200 micrometers) granulomas; submucosal granulomas
- Ulcers lined by epithelioid histiocytes
- Disproportionate submucosal inflammation
|