title: Port-site tuberculosis after laparoscopy: report of eight cases.
abstract: In light of the explosive increase in laparoscopic surgery, there is concern about the effectiveness of sterilizing reusable laparoscopic instruments by immersion in 2% glutaraldehyde. This article describes the clinical features of eight patients who presented with biopsy-proven tuberculosis at the port-site unassociated with other clinical features of tuberculosis. Three of the eight patients had positive cultures for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The port-site sinuses healed with antituberculous chemotherapy. There is conflicting information in the literature regarding the effectiveness of a 20-min instrument soak in 2% glutaraldehyde to clear M. tuberculosis. In light of the preceding information, the current practice of glutaraldehyde disinfection for reusable laparoscopes needs to be reexamined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, PVS Memorial Hospital, 31/543, Subhash Nagar, Edappally, Cochin 682024, Kerala, India. hramesh@vsnl.com
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ramesh
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Prakash
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lekha
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Venugopal
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Venugopal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis*