Abdominal tuberculosis: a clinico-morphological study

Fifty one cases of intestinal tuberculosis were found in a total of 200 ressected intestinal specimens studied at PGMI, Lahore. Maximum number of cases were in 20-29 years age group, showing a female preponderance. Pain was the commonest presenting complaint. Haemoglobin estimation revealed anaemia in 82.35% cases and ESR was raised in 90.32% cases Ileum was the commonest bowel segment involved in cases of intestinal tuberculosis. Mean length of ressected specimens in these cases was 26.6 +/- 16.31 cm. Hypertrophic lesions and enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes were the commonest findings on gross examination. On fluorescent [Auramine - Rhodamine] staining 40 [78.43%] cases were AFB positive