Diagnostic Significance of Epithelioid Granulomas in Crohnʼs Disease in Children

Out of 528 children with Crohn's disease in a Multicenter Paediatric Crohn's Disease Study Group, 37 cases had epithelioid granulomas but did not fulfill defined radiographic criteria of the disease. Follow-up studies including clinical, biochemical, radiological, endoscopic, and histological investigations were done in these patients. Initially, all patients showed clinical symptoms and 27 of them had biochemical signs of chronic inflammation. After a mean follow-up of 3 years, all 37 children treated for Crohn's disease got a complete upper gastrointestinal series with small bowel followthrough and 8 children in addition had barium enemas. Colonoscopies were done in 23 patients. Radiograp…