Cecal Tuberculosis Mimicking Submucosal Tumor

Abstract

A 41-year-old man presented with abdominal fullness in late August 2012. Abdominal CT showed ileus caused by stenosis of the ileum and an enlargement of the ileocecal lymph nodes. Colonoscopy showed a steep elevated protruding tumor in the cecum, with multiple ulcerative lesions on top. A pathological analysis of the lesions confirmed chronic inflammatory infiltration and epithelioid granuloma. The findings of a tuberculin skin test and QuantiFERON-TB-Gold test were positive. As a result, we treated the patient for tuberculosis of the cecum. After 4 months of treatment, colonoscopy confirmed the disappearance of the tumor. In conclusion, intestinal tuberculosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis when protruding lesions appear in the cecum.

Ileocecal and hepatic tuberculosis mimicking a metastatic cecal malignancy: Case report

“…The diagnosis of tuberculosis in this part of the body is challenging since there are no specifics symptoms and signs. Ileocecal TB is a great mimicker; it may sometimes be misdiagnosed as Crohn's disease, colon cancer, ischemic colitis, or amebiasis 4 . Radiologic investigations play an important role in establishing the diagnosis, but the definite diagnosis is still based on histological findings.…”