Abdominal tuberculosis

ABSTRACT

This is a report of 19 patients with abdominal tuberculosis. Nine patients presented with intestinal obstruction due to ileocaecal involvement, 3 had widespread disease with ascites, 2 presented with features similar to appendicular mass, 2 had ileal and extensive colonic involvement with ascites, 2 had colonic stenosis after completely healed lesions, and one patient presented with generalised peritonitis as a result of perforation from an ileocaecal lesion. Seventeen patients had laparotomies [15 resections and 2 biopsies], and the condition in the other 2 cases was controlled medically. There were no deaths or complications and post-operative anti-tuberculous treatment continued for one year