Colonic tuberculosis: clinical features, endoscopic appearance and management.

Background: Although rare in the West, colonic tuberculosis is not an uncommon disease in developing countries. However, the clinical manifestations and radiological appearance of the disease are non-specific. In recent years, colonoscopy has been found to be very useful in diagnosing patients with colonic tuberculosis.

Methods: Clinical features, colonoscopic findings, histology and response to treatment were recorded in 50 patients with colonic tuberculosis.

Results: Abdominal pain, fever, anorexia, weight loss and diarrhoea were the common symptoms. The colonoscopic features consisted of ulcers (92%), nodules (88%), deformed caecum and ileocecal valve (42%), strictures (25%), multiple fibrous bands (8%) and polypoid lesions (6%). Segmental tuberculosis and lesions simulating carcinoma were seen in 22 and 16% of patients, respectively. Histological examination of the colonic biopsy specimens showed well-formed, non-caseating granulomas in 18%, collection of loosely arranged epithelioid cells in 40% and chronic non-specific inflammatory changes in 42% of the patients. Six patients needed surgical intervention. The other 44 patients responded well to anti-tuberculous therapy and became asymptomatic.

Conclusions: It is concluded that colonoscopy is a useful method for diagnosing colonic tuberculosis. It is suggested that if the clinical picture and colonoscopic appearance are suggestive of tuberculosis and target biopsies reveal non-caseating granulomas, a collection of loosely arranged epithelioid cells, or even non-specific changes, then a therapeutic trial of anti-tuberculous drugs should be given and continued if there is clinical improvement.