title: [Abdominal tuberculosis: deceptive and still encountered].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Hépato-Gastroentérologie, Hôpital Antoine Béclère, Clamart. axel.balian@abc.ap-hop-paris.fr
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balian
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: de Pinieux
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Belloula
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barthelemy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Montembault
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Girard
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Raynard
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Le Gall
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Capron
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naveau
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chaput
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000243:Adenosine Deaminase
vernacular_title: La tuberculose abdominale: trompeuse et toujours d'actualité.