A Case of Tuberculous Enteritis with Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis in a 12-Year-Old Girl / 소아감염

ABSTRACT

Intestinal tuberculosis (TB) is presented with nonspecific and variable clinical manifestations such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever and weight loss. Diagnosis of tuberculous enteritis may be missed or confused with many other chronic gastrointestinal disorders such as the Crohn disease and intestinal neoplasms. The diagnosis should be based on careful clinical evaluations, such as extra-intestinal signs and colonoscopic and histologic findings. Newer techniques such as PCR tests from the specimens through colonoscopic biopsy may be helpful to confirm diagnosis of tuberculous enteritis. The treatment regimens for pulmonary tuberculosis are generally effective for tuberculous enteritis as well. If not treated early, the prognosis of intestinal tuberculosis is poor. We report a case of tuberculous enteritis diagnosed by colonoscopic biopsy and TB PCR which was presented with diarrhea, abdominal pain, intermittent fever and weight loss in a 12-year-old girl with active pulmonary tuberculosis. The patient was treated successfully with antituberculosis agents for 11 months without any complications.