Frequency and Clinical Correlations of Granulomas in Children With Crohn Disease

Abstract

Granulomas were identified in 61% of fully investigated pediatric patients with CD at diagnosis, including a substantial proportion of patients in whom colonoscopy to the cecum would have been insufficient for diagnosis. Granulomas were more frequent in untreated patients (P < 0.0005), and their prevalence was not affected by age. The presence of granulomas at diagnosis was associated with perianal disease, gastritis, hypoalbuminemia, anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies, and infliximab treatment.