title: [Endoscopic diagnosis and clinical experience of colonic tuberculosis].
abstract: From February 1979 to May 1994, 18 cases of colonic tuberculosis were detected by colonscopy at Chang Gung Momorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center. There were 10 males and 8 females, with mean age of 43.6. In ten, the diagnosis was confirmed histologically or bacteriologically in colonic biopsy material and post-operated lymph nodes. The remaining 8 patients was suspected on colonoscopy, and had good response to antituberculous therapy. The major symptoms were abdominal pain (83%), diarrhea (67%), and body weight loss (61%). Average duration from symptoms to diagnosis was 4.1 months. Chest X-ray revealed active pulmonary tuberculosis in 14 of 18 patients (78%), 4 of 14 patients were military type. The colonic tuberculosis involved in ileocecal area in 6, ileocecum and contiguous colonic regions in 7, segmental colonic involvement in 4, and pancolitis in 1 patient. Multiple ulceration and ulcerohypertrophic lesions were the major colonoscopic findings. Typical caseating granuloma were found in 5 cases (36%) from colonoscopic biopsy, the other 5 from surgical resected specimens. Antituberculous therapy produced remarkable symptomatic improvement in all patients except 2 cases complicated with intestinal obstruction necessitating laparotomy. Colonoscopy with biopsy is a useful diagnostic tool in early diagnosis and avoiding unnecessary laparotomy in colonic tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hepatogastroenterology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: K Y
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Tung
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D003113:Colonoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D014385:Tuberculosis, Gastrointestinal / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy