Colorectal cancer differential diagnosis

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To view the differential diagnosis of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), click here
To view the differential diagnosis of hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), click here

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]: Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Trusha Tank, M.D.[2], Qurrat-ul-ain Abid, M.D.[3]

Overview

Colorectal cancer must be differentiated from other diseases that cause unexplained weight loss, unexplained loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, anemia, jaundice, and fatigue, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), hemorrhoids, anal fissures, and diverticular disease. There are less common conditions that may be confused as colorectal cancer such as infectious colitis and gastrointestinal lymphoma.

Colorectal Cancer Differential Diagnosis

Other conditions that can be mistaken for colorectal cancer include the following:

ABBREVIATIONS:N/A: Not available , N/V: Nausea/vomiting, M/C: Most common, DRE: Digital rectal exam, RLQ: Right lower quadrant, LLQ: Left lower quadrant
Diseases Clinical manifestations Para-clinical findings Gold standard
Symptoms
Lab Findings Imaging Histopathology
Bowel frequency Blood in stool Abdominal pain Tenesmus Other symptoms Anemia Colonoscopy CT scan Other diagnostic study
Colorectal carcinoma (Adenocarcinoma)[7] ↑ or ↓ + +/- + + PET scans

Barium enema

Biopsy, genetic testing, and histopathological analysis
Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
[8][9][10][11][12]
↑ or ↓ + + - + Barium enema

MRI

Genetic testing for STK11 and colonoscopy
Carcinoids
[13][14][15][16][17]
+/- + - +
  • Well-defined single/multiple lesions
  • Round/ovoid in shape
  • Variable in size between 2-5 cm
PET scan (11C-5-hydroxytryptophan, 11C-5-HTP)

MRI

Ki-67 index

  • Solid/spongy nests of cells accentuated by neatly outlined luminal spaces
Biopsy and histopathological analysis
Diseases Bowel frequency Blood in stool Abdominal pain Tenesmus Other symptoms Anemia Colonoscopy CT scan Other diagnostic study Histopathology Gold standard
Juvenile Polyposis Coli[18][19][20][21][22] + + - + Barium study

Stool DNA test

Diagnose if any of the following positive:

Diagnostic criteria fulfilment
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST)[23][24][25][26][27] - +/- - - +/- Benign

Malignant GIST with metastasis:

Endoscopic ultrasonography

Benign:

Malignant GIST:

Endoscopic ultrasound

biopsy and histopathological analysis

Hamartoma[30] + + +
  • N/A
-
  • Large polypoid mass
Biopsy Biopsy
Diseases Bowel frequency Blood in stool Abdominal pain Tenesmus Other symptoms Anemia Colonoscopy CT scan Other diagnostic study Histopathology Gold standard
Colorectal Lymphoma[31][32] - +/- + -
  • Weight loss
+
  • Polypoid or ulcerated mass, intramural lesion, aphthous ulcer, stricture, extraluminal mass, or diffuse, multiple polypoid lesions
Double-contrast enema

Biopsy

Biopsy
Kaposi's sarcoma[33] + + - +
  • N/A
Serology

Biopsy

Biopsy
Arteriovenous malformation[34] - + - -
  • N/A
+
  • Bright red, flat lesions
  • Rarely, polypoid
  • N/A
  • N/A
Accidental finding
Diseases Bowel frequency Blood in stool Abdominal pain Tenesmus Other symptoms Anemia Colonoscopy CT scan Other diagnostic study Histopathology Gold standard
Diverticular diseases[35][36][37] ↑ or ↓ +/- +

RLQ

- -
  • Not recommended
Barium enema
  • Circumferential narrowing
  • Spiculated contour
  • Tapered margins
  • N/A
CT scan
Hemorrhoids[38] + + -
  • Perianal Itching
  • Pain with defecation
  • Painful-hard lump in anus
+ Anoscopy
  • Protruding mass from the anus
  • N/A
DRE
  • N/A
Clinical
Anal fissure[39] - + + - +/- Anoscopy
  • Anal wall laceration
  • N/A
  • N/A
  • N/A
Clinical
Diseases Bowel frequency Blood in stool Abdominal pain Tenesmus Other symptoms Anemia Colonoscopy CT scan Other diagnostic study Histopathology Gold standard
Infectious colitis[40] + + - -
  • N/A
Stool analysis

Stool cultures

  • N/A
Stool culture
Ulcerative colitis[41]V + +

LLQ

+ +
  • N/A
  • N/A
Endoscopic biopsy
Crohn's disease[41] + +

RLQ

+ +
  • N/A
  • N/A
Endoscopic biopsy
Irritable bowel syndrome[42] ↑ ↓ + + + -
  • Not recommended
  • N/A
Diagnosis of exclusion
  • N/A
Clinical diagnosis (Rome criteria)
Diseases Bowel frequency Blood in stool Abdominal pain Tenesmus Other symptoms Anemia Colonoscopy CT scan Other diagnostic study Histopathology Gold standard
Appendicitis[43] - +

RLQ

- -
  • N/A

Ultrasound

  • Aperistaltic, noncompressible, dilated appendix (>6 mm)
  • Appendicolith
  • Echogenic prominent pericaecal fat
  • Periappendiceal fluid collection
  • N/A
CT scan
Strangulated hernia - +

RLQ

- -
  • N/A
Ultrasound:
  • N/A
Ultrasound
Bowel endometriosis[44] ↑ or ↓ + +

Pelvic

+ +
  • N/A
  • N/A
Transvaginal ultrasound
  • Heterogeneous, hypoechoic, spiculated mass

T1-weighted or fat-suppression T1-weighted MRIs

  • N/A
Transvaginal ultrasound
ABBREVIATIONS:N/A: Not available , N/V: Nausea/vomiting, M/C: Most common, DRE: Digital rectal exam, RLQ: Right lower quadrant, LLQ: Left lower quadrant

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