Conditions that mimic inflammatory bowel disease

Preview

The human colon is capable of responding to a variety of insults in only a limited number of ways. Therefore, many infectious, inflammatory, and idiopathic diseases have overlapping clinical, histologic, and radiographic features. Nevertheless, it is usually possible to make a specific diagnosis and treat the disorder accordingly. In this article, Dr Itzkowitz describes the diagnostic features of idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease, which can be used as the basis for comparison with the features of several commonly encountered colorectal diseases. A suggested approach to unraveling the differential diagnosis is provided.