Differential Diagnosis between Intestinal Tuberculosis and Crohn's Disease

Written by Yang Dong
Colorectal Surgery Department
Updated on September 04, 2024
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Intestinal tuberculosis often exhibits symptoms of extraintestinal tuberculosis, whereas Crohn's disease generally does not show signs of extraintestinal tuberculosis. Recurrence of intestinal tuberculosis is not common, whereas Crohn's disease has a longer duration and alternates between remission and relapse. Fistulas, abdominal abscesses, and perianal lesions are relatively rare in intestinal tuberculosis, but Crohn's disease may involve fistulas, abdominal masses, and perianal lesions. Tuberculin skin tests may be positive in patients with intestinal tuberculosis, while in Crohn's disease patients, the test may show a weakly positive result. After antituberculosis treatment, symptoms in patients with intestinal tuberculosis can significantly improve, whereas there is no significant improvement in symptoms in Crohn's disease patients following antituberculosis treatment. Furthermore, histopathological examination in patients with intestinal tuberculosis may reveal Mycobacterium tuberculosis and caseous necrosis. In contrast, Crohn's disease patients show negative results for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in pathologic testing and do not exhibit caseous necrosis.

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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Early symptoms of Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease early in its onset is characterized by symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and intestinal obstruction. As the condition progresses, it can lead to anemia, nutritional disorders, eye involvement, joint involvement, and liver involvement. It is important to maintain a reasonable daily routine, eating multiple small meals that are high in calories but low in fat, and include a variety of vegetables. During active phases, bed rest should be observed, and a diet high in nutrition but low in fat should be provided, combined with medical and surgical treatments. The symptoms of Crohn's disease are prone to recurrence, and the prognosis is not particularly good. It is essential to actively cooperate with the doctor’s treatment.

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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Does Crohn's disease hurt?

Crohn's disease can cause abdominal pain, along with symptoms of diarrhea and intestinal obstruction. It often accompanies fever, anemia, and nutritional disorders. Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease, and its specific causes are not particularly clear. It commonly affects the terminal ileum and the right half of the colon. The disease course is prone to recurrent attacks, so dietary management is important. The principle of eating small frequent meals should be followed, with a focus on light vegetables, while also ensuring nutritional enhancement. It is advisable to avoid spicy, cold, stimulating foods, and those that cause gas, such as leeks, garlic, and bean products. Treatment involves a combination of medication and surgery.

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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Can people with Crohn's disease eat eggs?

Patients with Crohn's disease can eat eggs, but should focus on consuming primarily egg whites and avoid egg yolks as much as possible. The general principle for their diet should be to have smaller, more frequent meals that are high in calories and low in fat. Vegetables such as yams, carrots, and potatoes can be included, while cold, spicy, and irritating foods should be avoided. Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease of unknown cause, potentially resulting in complications like intestinal obstruction, perforation, and rectal bleeding. During active phases, it is important to rest, avoid excessive fatigue, and timely replenish needed nutrients and fluids.

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Written by Ren Zheng Xin
Gastroenterology
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Crohn's disease affected areas

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that can occur in any part of the gastrointestinal tract, primarily affecting the right half of the colon and the terminal ileum. Typical clinical manifestations include abdominal pain, intestinal obstruction, diarrhea, and some extraintestinal manifestations such as nutritional disorders or fever. Complications can include intra-abdominal abscesses, acute intestinal perforation, significant intestinal bleeding, malabsorption syndrome, and can also involve the liver, skin, joints, and other areas. The course of the disease is relatively long and prone to recurrent episodes. Treatment primarily targets complications, focusing on pharmacological and surgical interventions. It is important to enhance nutritional support by providing high-nutrition, low-fat foods.

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Written by Huang Gang
Gastroenterology
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Will routine blood tests be normal for Crohn's disease?

If you have Crohn's disease, conducting a routine blood test can be helpful for an auxiliary diagnosis. If the routine blood test for someone with Crohn's disease shows an increase in white blood cells, it may be indicative of a bacterial infection. Crohn's disease can lead to persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, and inadequate absorption of nutrients. It may also result in anemia, low red blood cell count, and low hemoglobin levels. Diagnosis can be confirmed by considering the individual's clinical symptoms in conjunction with stool routine tests and colonoscopy examinations.