[Crohn's disease or intestinal tuberculosis: a diagnostic challenge]. / Tuberculose intestinale ou maladie de Crohn : un défi diagnostique.

ABSTRACT

Distinguishing intestinal tuberculosis from Crohn disease is difficult and can result in misdiagnosis, especially when active pulmonary infection is absent. A 13-year-old girl was admitted to our hospital with a 2-month history of watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, and 12-kg weight loss. Based on clinical, radiological, endoscopic, and histological findings, she was initially misdiagnosed as having Crohn disease and treated with glucocorticosteroids, with a poor response after 4 weeks. Intestinal tuberculosis was then suspected. Improvement was observed during the 1st week of antituberculous treatment. The differentiation of intestinal tuberculosis from Crohn disease may be very difficult in some patients. A positive response to antituberculous treatment associated with clinical, endoscopic, and histological features argue in favor of the diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis.