Histopathology and TB-PCR kit analysis in differentiating the diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis and Crohn's disease.

Aim: To compare the histopathologic features of intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) and Crohn's disease (CD) and to identify whether polymerase chain reaction for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB-PCR) would be helpful for differential diagnosis between ITB and CD.

Methods: We selected 97 patients with established diagnoses (55 cases of ITB and 42 cases of CD) who underwent colonoscopic biopsies. Microscopic features of ITB and CD were reviewed, and eight pathologic parameters were evaluated.