Varied presentation of abdominal tuberculosis

ABSTRACT

To study the varied presentations of abdominal tuberculosis that have presented as acute abdomen. This is a case control analytic non-randomized study conducted at Surgical Unit 1, Department of Surgery, Combined Military Hospital [CMH], Rawalpindi Jun 2000 to Jun 2002. An analysis was done of the clinical presentation of patients who presented with acute abdomen and were diagnosed to be suffering from abdominal tuberculosis on histopathology report. A total of 33 patients were included in the study. History of intermittent low-grade fever was observed in 28/33 patients whereas there was no fever in 5 patients. 2/33 patients were on anti tuberculosus therapy for pulmonary tuberculosis. Perforation was diagnosed in 10/33 cases, intestinal obstruction in 9/33 cases, peritonitis in 6/33 cases, mass abdomen in 5/33 cases, inflammation of abdominal organs in 2/33 cases and 1/33 had a diagnostic explorative laparotomy as no diagnosis could be reached preoperatively. Abdominal tuberculosis is one of the most important surgical problems of Pakistan. This disease has varied presentation and so should be considered in the differential diagnosis of all the acute abdominal conditions