title: [Isolation of M. tuberculosis in abdominal specimens].
abstract: The isolation of mycobacteria in abdominal specimens during a 10 years period is presented. Twenty-three clinical cases have been reviewed; patients were divided in three groups: 1) Peritoneal and intestinal tuberculosis. 2) Pulmonary tuberculosis with isolation of M. tuberculosis in feces, and 3) Miliary tuberculosis. We emphasize the low yielding of bacilloscopy, the low number of colonies in cultures and the importance of the microbiological study of abdominal specimens in the confirmatory diagnosis. The predominant symptoms of peritoneal tuberculosis were abdominal pain and distention and fever. The study of the ascitic fluid showed in most of the cases lymphocytic exudate and the pathological study of biopsies showed granulomas with caseous necrosis. Three patients had another associated abdominal disease. Isolation of M. tuberculosis in feces does not invariably mean the presence of intestinal tuberculosis. We confirm the frequent association of disseminated tuberculosis and HIV1 infection.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Microbiología y Parasitología, Ciutat Sanitaria Vall d'Hebrón, Facultad de Medicina, Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xercavins Valls
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gallego Carrión
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Martín Casabona
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: González Fuente
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vidal Pla
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000382:microbiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000382:microbiology*
vernacular_title: Aislamiento de M. tuberculosis en muestras de origen abdominal.