Table 1.
| Parameter | Tuberculosis | Crohn’s disease |
| Geographic predominance | Asia, India, Pakistan | Western regions, Saudi Arabia |
| Symptoms | ||
| Duration of symptoms | Short (about 7 mo) | Long (about 58 mo) |
| Abdominal pain | 18%-90% | 18%-90% |
| Acute abdomen | 67% | Rare |
| Weight loss | 55%-80% | 55%-80% |
| Anorexia | 45% | Frequent |
| Hematochezia | 4%-18% | 31% |
| Diarrhea | 35%-55% | 69% (bloody diarrhea) |
| Diarrhea alternating with constipation | 38% | Rare |
| Ascites | Frequent | Rare |
| Anemia | 45%-64% | Frequent |
| Fever | 55%-69% | 23%-45% |
| Night sweats | 31% | Rare |
| Intra-abdominal abscesses | Frequent | Frequent (fistula) |
| Perianal disease | Rare | Frequent (25%-50%) |
| Extra-intestinal disorders | Pulmonary tuberculosis (60%), neuropathies (vitamin B12 deficiency) | pyoderma gangrenosum, uveitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, aphthous stomatitis, arthritis, etc. |
| CT-scan | Thickening of the ileocecal valve and of the medial wall of the cecum and a retracted, conical, and shrunken cecum | Minimal and uniform intestinal wall thickening, mural stratification, vascular jejunization or the comb sign, mesenteric fibrofatty proliferation and skip lesions |
| Colonoscopy | Transverse and rodent-like ulcers with a patulous ileocecal valve | Longitudinal ulcers and a comb sign |
| Therapy | ||
| Medications | Anti-TB agents (isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, streptomycin, ethambutol, etc.) | Steroids anti-tumor-necrosis-factor agents (infliximab) |
| Surgery | Laparoscopic-assisted ileocolectomies | Usually open surgery |
CT: Computed tomography; TB: Tuberculosis.