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Colorectal cancer and intestinal tuberculosis
A F Leong1, F Seow-Choen, H S Goh
1Department of Colorectal Surgery, Singapore General Hospital.
Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore
|November 1, 1993
Summary
This study presents four cases of abdominal tuberculosis co-occurring with colorectal cancer, highlighting an unusual patho-aetiological relationship. Patients showed no recurrence after treatment, suggesting a potential link between these conditions.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Oncology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Intestinal tuberculosis (IT) and colorectal cancer (CRC) are rarely found together.
- This co-occurrence presents a unique challenge in understanding their patho-aetiological relationship.
Observation:
- Four cases of abdominal tuberculosis and colorectal cancer are presented.
- Patients included three males and one female, with a median age of 71 years.
- Cancers were moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas, staged from Dukes B to locally advanced with metastasis.
Findings:
- Acid-fast bacilli were identified in all four patients.
- Tuberculosis was found in regional lymph nodes, adjacent to tumors, disseminated abdominally, or within the same tumor mass.
- All patients completed anti-tubercular chemotherapy and showed no recurrence of either disease at a median follow-up of 34 months.
Implications:
- The exact relationship between abdominal tuberculosis and colorectal cancer remains speculative.
- A potential cause-and-effect relationship between these two diseases warrants further investigation.
- This case series offers insights into managing patients with coexisting intestinal tuberculosis and colorectal cancer.