Abdominal tuberculosis: Clinical profile and outcome

Doomed for carcinomatosis? An unusual presentation of abdominal tuberculosis

A 35-year old male from Brazil presented with intermittent abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography revealed a nodule adjacent to splenic hilum and multiple abdominal nodules, suspicious of carcinomatosis. The patient underwent gastroscopy and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), that revealed an ill-defined hypoechogenic lesion adjacent to the spleen and two hypoechogenic subepithelial lesions located in the 4th layer of the stomach and duodenal bulb. Biopsies revealed non-necrotizing granulomatous inflammation with multinucleated giant cells. Soon after, a 18cm palpable mass within the rectus abdominis muscle was identified, and the biopsy was positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA, confirming the diagnosis of disseminated abdominal tuberculosis.

Encysted Peritoneal Tuberculosis Masquerading as Ovarian Tumour: A Case Report

Peritoneal tuberculosis (TB) is one of the types of extrapulmonary TB that predominantly involves the omentum, liver, intestinal tract, spleen, or female genital tract. It can occasionally result in gynecological-related oncology diagnoses such as advanced ovarian cancer due to its non-specific signs and symptoms, making it very difficult to detect. This report presents a case of a 22-year-old female who presented with the chief complaints of pain and distension of the abdomen for one month with dysuria. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging was performed that reported a large uni-loculated cystic pelvic abdominal lesion likely to be of ovarian origin and suggestive of neoplastic etiology with bilateral hydroureteronephrosis. To confirm the diagnosis, an exploratory laparotomy was performed which revealed extrapulmonary abdominal TB, and was registered for Directly Observed Treatment Shortcourse (DOTS) following which anti-tubercular drugs were given. In conclusion, this case report highlighted the masquerading behavior of encysted peritoneal TB as an ovarian tumor, and the fact that it should, therefore, should be considered in the differential diagnosis in regions where TB remains endemic, such as in developing countries. Hence, an appropriate diagnosis can prevent the need for unnecessary surgical operations and adequate therapy can save the patient's life.

Perfusion Computed Tomography May Help in Discriminating Gastrointestinal Tuberculosis and Crohn’s Disease

Gastrointestinal tuberculosis (GITB) and Crohn’s disease (CD) are close mimics. This prospective study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of perfusion computed tomography (CT) in differentiating GITB from CD. Consecutive patients with ileocaecal thickening underwent perfusion CT of the ileocaecal region between January 2019 and July 2020. Two radiologists (blinded to the final diagnosis) independently assessed blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), mean transit time (MTT), and permeability at perfusion CT. These parameters were compared among the patients with GITB as well as active and inactive CD. Receiver operating characteristic curves were utilized for determining the diagnostic performance of perfusion CT. Interclass correlation coefficient and Bland–Altman analysis were performed to compare the observations of the two radiologists. During the study period, 34 patients underwent perfusion CT. Eight patients had diagnoses other than intestinal tuberculosis or CD. Thus, 26 patients (mean age 36 ± 14 years, 18 males) with GITB (n = 11), active CD (n = 6), and inactive CD (n = 9) were evaluated. BF, MTT, and permeability showed significant differences among the groups, while BV did not differ significantly among the groups. BF and permeability had 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity, while MTT had 61.5–100% sensitivity and 70–100% specificity for differentiating GITB from active CD and active from inactive CD. The interclass correlation coefficient for perfusion CT parameters was 0.88–1. Perfusion CT is a novel imaging technique that can improve the diagnostic performance of differentiating tuberculosis from CD.

A Rare Case of Intestinal Tuberculosis with Chronic Partial Small Bowel Obstruction in a 37-Year-Old Ethiopian Man

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic granulomatous inflammatory disease that affects any part of our body. TB is a significant problem in developing countries. Intestinal TB accounts for 2% of TB cases worldwide. Terminal ileum and cecum are the two commonly affected regions because of abundant lymphoid tissue, physiologic stasis, limited digestive activity and increased fluid and electrolyte absorption rate. Intestinal obstruction is the leading complication of intestinal TB, and it occurs because of intestinal luminal narrowing, multiple strictures or adhesions. The clinical presentation of patients with intestinal TB and post-TB intestinal obstruction is non-specific. It can be acute, chronic, or acute on chronic. Uncomplicated cases of intestinal TB can be managed medically. Surgery is reserved for complicated cases of intestinal TB, which includes peritonitis, intestinal obstruction and perforations. Here, we present a 37-year-old man who presented with long-standing, intermittent crampy abdominal pain and vomiting. He was diagnosed with chronic partial small bowel obstruction secondary to possibly small bowel carcinoma. We did segmental ileal resection and end-to-end ileo-ileal anastomosis. Postoperatively, the histopathology result turned out to be intestinal TB. This case report aims to make physicians aware of the rare condition of small bowel obstruction secondary to intestinal TB. Clinicians need to have a high index of suspicion in any patient with long-standing symptoms of partial obstruction and consider surgery and anti-TB once diagnosed.

Abdominal Tuberculosis Presenting as an Umbilical Sinus: A Case Report

Abdominal tuberculosis, a form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis is common in developing countries like India. Manifestations of abdominal tuberculosis are widely variable. Its incidence is high among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients in the adult population. Here, we report a 26-year-old male, initially treated in a private clinic for abdominal distention, loss of appetite, and loss of weight for one month. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdomen showed a large loculated fluid collection. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest showed signs of pulmonary tuberculosis. The patient was started on anti-tuberculosis therapy (ATT) and discharged. Ten days later, the patient presented to our hospital with foul-smelling pus discharging from the umbilicus and necrosis of the surrounding tissue. Abdominal examination revealed a tense, distended, and tender abdomen. The patient was referred for emergency laparotomy. The intraoperative findings showed features that were a combination of plastic fibrous type and encysted loculated type of peritoneal tuberculosis. The above-mentioned case describes a very uncommon presentation of abdominal tuberculosis. A high degree of suspicion is required for diagnosing such conditions, especially in immunocompromised individuals. The case report also highlights the difficulties in the diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis.