Primary Adenocarcinoma of Terminal Ileum with Clinical and Gross Morphologic Features Simulating Crohn's Disease. A Case Report

We report a case of primary adenocarcinoma of the terminal ileum, which presented with clinical, radiologic and surgical findings indistinguishable from Crohn's disease. The age of the patient and the rapidly progressing symptoms were the only preoperative clues to the diagnosis of an occult malignancy. Frozen sections of an intraoperative biopsy established the correct diagnosis and led to a radical change in the treatment. This is the third report of adenocarcinoma of the small bowel simulating Crohn's disease.