[Abdominal tuberculosis: deceptive and still encountered].
BACKGROUND
Extrapulmonary manifestations of tuberculosis are increasing in incidence. Abdominal tuberculosis may mimic a variety of gastrointestinal disorders. The diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis is still difficult to establish before surgery.


METHODS
We report 3 cases of abdominal tuberculosis in immunocompetent individuals. One patient presented with an ileocecal mass mimicking cancer. The second one presented with fever, ileocecal mass and ascites leading to the diagnosis of appendiceal peritonitis. The last patient was admitted for ascites, ovarian mass and high CA 125 serum level simulating ovarian cancer with peritoneal carcinomatosis.


CONCLUSIONS
In cases of abdominal tuberculosis when standard investigations are unhelpful, a PCR should be performed. Estimation of adenosine deaminase in ascitic fluid is an easy and reliable method for diagnosing tuberculous ascites. With these non invasive diagnostic procedures, surgery should be reserved only to patients with complications.
Balian
A
A
Service d'Hépato-Gastroentérologie, Hôpital Antoine Béclère, Clamart. axel.balian@abc.ap-hop-paris.fr
de Pinieux
I
I
Belloula
D
D
Barthelemy
P
P
Montembault
S
S
Girard
T
T
Raynard
B
B
Le Gall
C
C
Capron
F
F
Naveau
S
S
Chaput
J C
JC
D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000032:analysis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001201:Ascites / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014385:Tuberculosis, Gastrointestinal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology
D000243:Adenosine Deaminase
La tuberculose abdominale: trompeuse et toujours d'actualité.