Morphological spectrum of gastrointestinal tuberculosis.

INTRODUCTION Gastrointestinal tuberculosis (GITB) is a great mimicker and it is often difficult to distinguish GITB from other inflammatory lesions of the intestine. AIM This study was carried out with the objective of analysing the entire morphological spectrum of GITB. METHODS A total of 110 diagnosed cases of GITB were included in the study. The diagnosis was based on the presence of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) on histology, caseating or non-caseating epithelioid cell granulomas (ECGs), evidence of tuberculosis at other extraintestinal sites, and all of these along with a complete response to anti-tuberculous treatment (ATT). RESULTS The mean age was 30.9 years with M:F ratio of 1:1. On gross examination, apart from typical tuberculous lesions in the form of transverse ulcers, strictures, hyperplastic lesions and serosal tubercles, intestinal perforation (32.6%) was seen with higher frequency and ischemic bowel was also identified (7.3%). Varied morphological patterns of ECGs in the form of caseating, non-caseating, confluent, discrete and even suppurative granulomas were identified on histopathology. An important finding was the co-existence of different types of granulomas within the same case. In a significant number of cases (44.5%) granulomas were seen in a submucosal location. The predominant type of inflammation seen in the lamina propria was lymphoplasmacytic in 85.5% cases. CONCLUSION Pathologists should be aware of the entire spectrum of gross and histopathological features of GITB, so as to avoid misdiagnosis.