title: Acute hepatobiliary tuberculosis: a report of two cases and a review of the literature.
abstract: Two cases of hepatobiliary tuberculosis are described. Case one, the macronodular type of hepatic tuberculosis, presented as pyrexia of unknown origin and was eventually diagnosed by sectional imaging when a mass lesion developed in the liver and aspiration revealed acid-fast bacilli. Case two presented with jaundice due to a hilar bile duct stricture. The patient was successfully treated by repeated bile duct stenting and later chemotherapy for tuberculosis. In both cases previous positive histology or culture would have expedited diagnosis and treatment. Acute hepatobiliary tuberculosis remains a rare disease. Suspicion of the disease and adequate biopsy are important to allow prompt appropriate treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hickey
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: McNulty
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Osborne
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finucane
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D001649:Bile Duct Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006500:Hepatic Duct, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014386:Tuberculosis, Hepatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography