Colonic carcinomas masquerading as Crohn's colitis.

ABSTRACT

When colonic carcinomas present with acute abdomen, the operating surgeon and the pathologist face a plethora of diagnostic and therapeutic problems. In this retrospective study of 92 cases of carcinoma colon, 4 presented with acute intestinal obstruction of which three had a turbulent post operative period and died. The resected colonic segment showed on gross examination cobblestone appearance characteristic of Crohn's disease but microscopically was ischemic with the stricture site showing features of an infiltrating poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. We have made an attempt to study the various pathologic features and analyse their significance with reference to prognosis.