title: Differentiating small bowel Crohn's disease from lymphoma. Role of rectal biopsy.
abstract: Crohn's disease and lymphoma limited to the small bowel may have similar clinical and radiologic features. This diagnostic dilemma was encountered in 5 adolescent patients with an eventual diagnosis of Crohn's disease, all of whom had normal sigmoidoscopic and radiographic evaluations of the colon. Rectal and colonic biopsies in 3 revealed granulomas and focal colitis supportive of the diagnosis of Crohn's disease and prevented laparotomy. A careful search for occult colonic involvement in similar patients with Crohn's disease may obviate the need for diagnostic surgery.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007421:Intestine, Small; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D012007:Rectum / Q000473:pathology*