Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that can involve any organ system in the body. While pulmonary tuberculosis is the more common presentation, extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPT) is also an important clinical problem. In countries where TB incidence is as high as in our country, EPT must be kept in mind in differential diagnosis of infectious diseases with unknown etiology.
Tuberculosis may involve any portion of gastrointestinal tract extending from oesophagus to rectum. The symptoms and signs of colon tuberculosis are nonspecific. It may mimic many other abdominal diseases, such as infectious or inflammatory procesess, crohn’s disease and malignancy. Intestinal tuberculosis should be diagnosed based on overall considerations, including clinical manifestations, colonoscopy findings and biopsy. In this case study, we report a case of intestinal tuberculosis in the ileocecal area which was presented as a hypertrophic ulcer, mimicking colon cancer without history of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Keywords: gastrointestinal tuberculosis, carcinoma of colon, ileocecal area