Hepatobiliary tuberculosis in western India.
Tuberculous involvement of liver as a part of disseminated tuberculosis is seen in up to 50-80% cases, but localized hepatobiliary tuberculosis (HBTB) is uncommonly described. During 6 years, a total of 280 consecutive patients with TB were evaluated prospectively for the presence and etiology of liver involvement. Cases with miliary TB or immunosuppression and cases receiving anti-tuberculosis drugs prior to presentation to our unit were excluded (38 cases). Details of clinical, biochemical and imaging findings and histology/microbiology were noted. Of 242 included cases, 38 patients (15.7%; age 38.1 +/- 12.5 years; sex ratio 2.5:1) had HBTB, whereas 20 patients (9%; age 39.3 +/- 16.3 years; sex ratio 2.1:1) had other liver diseases. Diagnosis of HBTB was based on caseating granuloma on histology (18/23 procedures), positive smear/culture for acid-fast bacilli (21/39 procedures) and positive polymerase chain reaction for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (28/29 procedures) when diagnostic procedures were guided by imaging results. Thirty-eight cases with HBTB were classified as follows [patients (n), (%)]: (A) hepatic TB [20 (52.6%)]: (1) granulomatous hepatitis - 10 (26.3%), (2) liver abscesses or pseudotumors - 10 (26.3%) and (3) calcified hepatic granuloma - 0 (0%); (B) biliary TB [15 (39.4%)]: (1) biliary strictures - 2 (5.2%), (2) gall bladder involvement - 1 (2.6%) and (3) biliary obstruction due to lymph node masses - 12 (31.5%); (C) mixed variety [3 (7.8%)]: (1) simultaneous granulomatous hepatitis and biliary stricture - 1 (2.6%) and (2) simultaneous lymph node involvement and calcified hepatic granuloma - 2 (5.2%). All the cases responded well to standard anti-tuberculosis therapy. HBTB forms an important subgroup in TB cases. It requires a combination of imaging, histological and microbiological procedures to define the diagnosis. HBTB responds well to treatment.
Amarapurkar
Deepak N
DN
Department of Gastroenterology, Bombay Hospital and Medical Research Centre, India.
Patel
Nikhil D
ND
Amarapurkar
Anjali D
AD
D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D001660:Biliary Tract Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014386:Tuberculosis, Hepatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology
D017931:DNA Primers; D004269:DNA, Bacterial