The American Journal of Gastroenterology is published by Nature Publishing Group (NPG) on behalf of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG). Ranked the #1 clinical journal covering gastroenterology and hepatology*, The American Journal of Gastroenterology (AJG) provides practical and professional support for clinicians dealing with the gastroenterological disorders seen most often in patients. Published with practicing clinicians in mind, the journal aims to be easily accessible, organizing its content by topic, both online and in print. www.amjgastro.com, *2007 Journal Citation Report (Thomson Reuters, 2008)

With the changing epidemiology of Crohn's disease (CD) and intestinal tuberculosis (ITB), we are in an era where the difficulty facing physicians in discriminating between the two diseases has increased, and the morbidity and mortality resulting from a delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis is considerably high. In this article, we examine the changing trends in the epidemiology of CD and ITB, in addition to clinical features that aid in the differentiation of both diseases. The value of various laboratory, serological, and the tuberculin skin tests are reviewed as well. The use of an interferon-γ-release assay, QuantiFERON-TB Gold, in the workup of these patients and its value in populations where the bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccine is still administered is discussed. Different radiological, endoscopic, and pathological similarities and features that can aid the clinician in reaching a rapid diagnosis are reviewed as well. The association between mycobacteria and CD, the concerns with the practice of antituberculosis medication trials in areas where tuberculosis (TB) is endemic, as well as extrapulmonary TB induced by the use of antitumor necrosis factor-α agents are delineated in this article. Furthermore, we propose an algorithm for the investigation of patients in whom the differential diagnosis encompasses CD and ITB.

Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer among Saudi men and the third commonest among Saudi women. Given the predominance of colorectal cancer compared with other cancers in Saudi Arabia, context-specific guidelines are needed for screening. Experts from the Saudi Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Saudi Gastroenterology Association, Saudi Oncology Society, Saudi Chapter of Enterostomal Therapy, Family Medicine and Department of Public Health at the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health and a patient advocate was assembled by the Saudi Centre for Evidence-Based Healthcare, a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health. The panel collaborated with a methodological team from McMaster University, Canada to develop national guidelines for colorectal cancer screening. After identifying key questions, the panel conducted a systematic review of all reports on the utility of screening, the cost of screening for colorectal cancer in Saudi Arabia and on the values and preferences of Saudi patients. Meta- analyses, when appropriate, were performed to generate pooled estimates of effect. Using the GRADE approach, the panel used the evidence-to-decision (EtD) framework to assess all domains important in determining the strength and direction of the recommendations (benefits and harms, values and preferences, resource implications, equity, acceptability, and feasibility). Judgments related to the EtD domains were resolved through consensus or voting, if consensus was not reached. The final recommendations were developed during a two-day meeting held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in March 2015. Conflicts of interests among the panel members were handled according to the World Health Organization rules. There is lack of national data on the incidence of adenomatous polyps or the age groups in which the incidence surges. There were no national clinical trials assessing the effectiveness of the different modalities of screening for colorectal cancer and their impact on mortality. The panel recommends screening for colorectal cancer in Saudi Arabia in asymptomatic Saudi patients at average risk of colorectal cancer. An infrastructure should be built to achieve that goal.