Can an Immunohistochemistry Method Differentiate Intestinal Tuberculosis from Crohn-s Disease in Biopsy Specimens?

Abstract

It is sometimes difficult to diagnose whether a patient has intestinal tuberculosis or Crohn-s disease because both have similar clinical, pathologic, and endoscopic features. However, their therapies are completely different and a mistake in diagnosis can result with deterioration. Many laboratory methods for the diagnosis of tuberculosis require considerable time to receive a diagnostic result. We wanted to evaluate whether an immunohistochemical tuberculosis staining method can be helpful for faster differentiation of biopsy materials.