A Case of Tuberculous Splenic Abscess

ABSTRACT

Splenic abscesses in the tropics assume importance because of their unusual aetiology. They may be secondary or primary. Splenic tuberculosis is rare and a delay in diagnosis is common. The authors report a patient with splenic and mesenteric tuberculosis who was admitted to the hospital because of an abdominal cyst incidentally detected on ultrasonogram during prenatal fetal monitoring in the Department of Obsterics. The patient had already been treated with anti-tuberulous drugs for the previous 18 months after being diagnosed as tuberulous pleuritis. Abdominal sonography and computerized tomography revealed the presence of multiple hypoechoic and hypodense splenic lesions and mesenteric cysts. Diagnostic splenectomy and excision of the mesenteric cysts revealed multiple necrotic masses in the spleen, consistent with the microscopic findings of caseating granulomatous inflammation. Following splenectomy, the patient was also treated with an anti-tuberculosis regimen with no recurrence of symptoms.