Diagnosis and treatment progress of gastrointestinal tuberculosis / 国际儿科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Gastrointestinal tuberculosis(GITB)is defined as Mycobacterium tuberculosis involving any region of gastrointestinal tract, mostly in the distal ileum and cecum.Clinical features include abdominal pain, fever and palpable mass in the ileocecal area and so on.China is one of the countries with high tuberculosis burden, and the incidence of GITB remains high.However, the manifestation isn′t specific, so it′s still difficult to diagnose, which causes misdiagnosis and mistreatment.Diagnosis and treatment of GITB in children are more difficult than in adults.It′s often misdiagnosed as Crohn′s disease, increasing treatment expense, leading to unnecessary adverse drug reactions and affecting the physical and mental health of children.Therefore, it′s vital to understand the characteristics and make correct diagnosis, which improves patient′s prognosis and life quality, and reduces tuberculosis transmission.