title: Intra-abdominal melioidosis masquerading as a tubercular abdomen: report of a rare case and literature review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Melioidosis, caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, an important human pathogen in tropical regions, has protean multi-system clinical manifestations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case report and review of pertinent English-language literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 33-year-old male, who had been treated for pulmonary tuberculosis and multiple splenic abscesses four years previously, presented with a five-day history of acute-onset high-grade fever, abdominal pain and distension, and dyspnea. Laparotomy and drainage was done for paraumbilical abdominal wall abscess. Omentectomy was performed because the omentum was infarcted and studded with tubercles. Pus culture was positive for B. pseudomallei. The patient developed septic shock and succumbed on the fifth day after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This report emphasizes an unusual presentation of melioidosis and the diagnostic challenge posed by its clinical similarity to tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India.
authors.forename: Raghavan Velayutham
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Sugi Subramaniam
authors.forename: Vilvapathy Senguttuvan
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Karthikeyan
authors.forename: Sarath Chandra
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Sistla
authors.forename: Sheik Manwar
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Sujatha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sistla
authors.forename: Nandhagopal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vijayaraghavan
authors.forename: Duvuru
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ram
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016957:Burkholderia pseudomallei / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000473:pathology; D059413:Intraabdominal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008554:Melioidosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009336:Necrosis / Q000473:pathology; D009852:Omentum / Q000473:pathology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis