An Interesting Case of Tuberculous Colitis Mimicking Crohn's Disease.

ABSTRACT

Intestinal tuberculosis is a rare disease in western countries and may mimic a variety of gastrointestinal disorders. Here, we report the case of a 29-yr-old male patient who presented with loose motions, loss of appetite and loss of body weight since two years. On colonoscopy transverse colon, ascending colon, caecum and ileocaecal mucosa was inflamed, swollen and showed multiple superficial longitudinal ulcerations. Crohn’s disease was suspected based on colonoscopic finding. However histopathological examination of biopsies from colonic mucosa then revealed caseating granulomas in the colonic mucosa typical for mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Our diagnosis is supported by raised serum IgM levels.The patient responded nicely to antitubercular therapy. This case emphasizes the need to include intestinal tuberculosis in the initial differential diagnosis of ulcerative colorectal lesions.