Value of pathology in diagnosis of Crohn′s disease

Histopathologic changes of Crohn′s disease vary among patients. Individual morphologic features are usually non-specific, particularly in a single biopsy or from a single site. Systemic multiple biopsies and understanding of the core histopathologic features are vital to correct pathological diagnosis of Crohn′s disease. In this article, we review diagnostic histopathologic features of Crohn′s disease and changes in early stage Crohn′s disease, and discuss key differential features between Crohn′s disease and intestinal tuberculosis, intestinal Behcet′s disease, intestinal vascular disorder, and lymphoma, to emphasize the importance of pathology in the multidisciplinary diagnosis of Crohn′s disease. Key words: Crohn′s disease; Intestinal tuberculosis; Intestinal Behcet′s disease; Intestinal vascular disorder; Lymphoma; Pathology