Endoscopic and Histopathological Characteristics of Newly Diagnosed Crohn's Disease in Vietnam: Insights From a Tertiary IBD Center.

Authors

Trung Hoang Dinh, Luan Minh Dang, Chuong Dinh Nguyen, Diem Thi-Ngoc Vo, Thong Duy Vo, Hoang Huu Bui, Duc Trong Quach

Published in

JGH open : an open access journal of gastroenterology and hepatology. Volume 10. Issue 10. Pages e70488. Epub Oct 23, 2026.

Abstract

Crohn's disease (CD) is rapidly emerging in Asia, yet endoscopic and histopathological characteristics at diagnosis remain poorly described in Southeast Asia. We aimed to describe baseline endoscopic and histologic features in Vietnamese adults with newly diagnosed CD.
We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study of consecutive adults newly diagnosed with CD from June 2019 to June 2024 at a tertiary inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) center in Vietnam. Ileocolonoscopy with segmental biopsies was performed in all patients. Endoscopic findings, histopathology, and Montreal classification were systematically recorded.
Eighty patients (median age 34.5 years, 62.5% male) were included. The median time from symptom onset to diagnosis was 12 months (IQR 2-24); 78.8% had ≥ 1 prior inconclusive colonoscopy, and 25% had undergone intestinal resection before confirmed diagnosis. Ileocolonic disease (L3) predominated (71.3%). At diagnosis, 28.8% of patients had stricturing and 28.8% had penetrating disease behavior. Endoscopically, terminal ileal involvement was observed in 77.6%, cecal involvement in 56.6%, and skip lesions in 72.4%. Aphthous ulcers were seen in 13.2%, longitudinal ulcers in 14.5%, and cobblestoning in 6.6%. Luminal narrowing and fistulous openings were seen in 32.9% and 5.3%, respectively. The overall endoscopic impression was consistent with CD in 46.1%, non-specific in 35.5%, suggestive of colorectal cancer (CRC) in 13.2%, and suggestive of intestinal tuberculosis in 3.9%. Histologically, chronic inflammation was universal and non-caseating epithelioid granulomas were identified in 31.6%. The pathologist's conclusion was consistent with CD in 67.1% and non-specific in 30.4%.
In this tertiary-center cohort of Vietnamese adults with newly diagnosed CD, the median time from symptom onset to diagnosis was 12 months. At diagnosis, 57.5% had stricturing or penetrating behavior, and 25.0% had already undergone intestinal resection. Longitudinal ulcers, cobblestoning, and epithelioid granulomas were each found in a minority of patients, and histopathology was nonspecific in 30.4%. These descriptive data provide a baseline for future comparative studies and for evaluating standardized diagnostic criteria in Vietnam.

PMID:
42927010
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 25 Oct 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.