A Tuberculous Peritonitis Presenting as Submucosal Tumors

ABSTRACT

Tuberculous peritonitis is not an uncommon disease, but the diagnosis is often missed and delayed because of the variability of disease presentation and non-specific clinical manifestations. In this report, we discuss a rare case of tuberculous peritonitis which presented as a submucosal mass in the colon. A 61-year-old woman registered at our hospital for a physical check-up. She had a weight loss of 3 kg over the past 6 months. The colonoscopic findings showed submucosal lesions (4 and 6 mm in size, yellow in color, and hard) which were suspected to be a carcinoid tumor. However, an abdomen-pelvic CT scan and laparoscopic findings suggested peritoneal tuberculosis. The result of laparoscopic biopsies was chronic granulomatous inflammation without caseous necrosis. After the standard anti-tuberculosis medications for 6 months, the previous lesions on the CT scan had resolved.