Current role of endoscopic ultrasound for gastrointestinal and abdominal tuberculosis

Obstructive jaundice caused by an abdominal tuberculous mass lesion

Tuberculosis is a global epidemic infection that typically presents with symptoms affecting the respiratory system. Abdominal tuberculosis is an uncommon manifestation, occurring in only 5% of tuberculosis cases globally and can present with a broad range of vague symptoms that mimic other biliary and pancreatic pathologies. We report a case of a 36-year-old woman presenting with jaundice and biliary obstruction secondary to abdominal tuberculosis. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography revealed a loculated retroperitoneal mass abutting the pancreatic head and duodenum with associated common bile duct dilatation. Endoscopic ultrasound demonstrated an ulcerated mass in the duodenum which was biopsied. Necrotising granulomas were identified on histology and the biopsied tissue was positive on tuberculosis polymerase chain reaction testing. Thus, extrapulmonary abdominal tuberculosis was diagnosed. The patient was commenced on a 6-month course of rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol treatment and demonstrated complete response to medical therapy. Abdominal tuberculosis can be difficult to diagnose but should remain an important differential to be considered for patients with previous travel or residence in endemic areas presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms. Prompt diagnosis and treatment can prevent unnecessary procedures, complications and death in patients with biliary obstruction caused by abdominal tuberculosis.

Comments and Illustrations of Ultrasound Findings in Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis Manifestations

This review describes the appearance of extrapulmonary tuberculosis manifestations in comprehensive and multiparametric ultrasound imaging. The aim is to increase awareness of typical ultrasound findings regarding extrapulmonary tuberculosis, correlate those with pathological features, and facilitate differential diagnosis. Point of care ultrasound protocols can be used as a screening method in high-risk populations, although the negative findings do not exclude tuberculosis. Conversely, the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis can never be made using ultrasound alone, as many ultrasound findings in extrapulmonary tuberculosis are non-specific. However, ultrasound-based sampling techniques can significantly facilitate the collection of samples for microbiological or molecular proof of tuberculosis, as well as facilitating the establishment of alternative diagnoses.

Gastric Tuberculosis Masquerading as Persistent Epigastric Pain in an Immunocompetent Patient: A Case Report

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a leading infectious disease with varied manifestations. We report a rare presentation of gastric TB in a 50-year-old immunocompetent woman from the Middle East with no prior medical history. The patient presented with persistent epigastric pain, weight loss, nausea, and vomiting over a 2-month duration. Imaging studies and an infectious disease panel were inconclusive. However, upper endoscopy revealed a subepithelial lesion at the pylorus, with biopsies demonstrating caseating granuloma and multinucleated giant cells. A QuantiFERON test was subsequently positive for TB. The patient was successfully treated with standard TB quadruple therapy, resulting in significant improvement in symptoms during follow-up. This case underscores the importance of considering extrapulmonary TB in immunocompetent patients with atypical gastrointestinal symptoms and highlights the efficacy of prompt antitubercular therapy.

Tuberculosis of the Stomach Mimicking Gastric Submucosal Tumor: Diagnosis by Endoscopic Ultrasound

Introduction

Gastrointestinal tuberculosis (TB), specifically gastric TB, is a rare form of extrapulmonary TB. Diagnosis proves challenging with nonspecific signs and symptoms. In this case report, a 22-year-old male came in with complaints of recurrent hematemesis and melena.

Case Presentation

We found a submucosal mass with ulceration in the stomach cardia on esophagoduodenoscopy (EGD). The endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) finding was a hypoechoic submucosal lesion with a clear margin; specimens were taken using fine needle aspiration (FNA) for further histopathological examination. The result indicated granuloma of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in pathology, suggesting that the diagnosis was gastric TB. The patient was then treated with antitubercular therapy regimen for 9 months. The previously documented mass in the stomach cardia was no longer visible on the follow-up endoscopy examination, and the patient was considered cured.

Conclusion

This case shows that gastric tuberculosis should be considered in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, especially those living in TB endemic regions. Endoscopic examinations, such as EGD and EUS, may aid in the diagnosis of gastric tuberculosis.

Cheesy material on macroscopic on-site evaluation after endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy: Don't miss the tuberculosis

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) is an excellent investigation to diagnose pancreatic lesions and has shown high accuracy for its use in pathologic diagnosis. Recently, macroscopic on-site evaluation (MOSE) performed by an endoscopist was introduced as an alternative to rapid on-site cytologic evaluation to increase the diagnostic yield of EUS-FNB. The MOSE of the biopsy can estimate the adequacy of the sample directly by the macroscopic evaluation of the core tissue obtained from EUS-FNB. Isolated pancreatic tuberculosis is extremely rare and difficult to diagnose because of its non-specific signs and symptoms. Therefore, this challenging diagnosis is based on endoscopy, imaging, and the bacteriological and histological examination of tissue biopsies. This uncommon presentation of tuberculosis can be revealed as pancreatic mass mimicking cancer. EUS-FNB can be very useful in providing a valuable histopathological diagnosis. A calcified lesion with a cheesy core in MOSE must be suggestive of tuberculosis, leading to the request of the GeneXpert, which can detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis deoxyribonucleic acid and resistance to rifampicin. A decent diagnostic strategy is crucial to prevent unnecessary surgical resection and to supply conservative management with antitubercular therapy.