title: Radiological findings in duodenal tuberculosis: a 15-year experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the radiological findings of duodenal tuberculosis with particular emphasis on the barium findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of 805 cases of gastrointestinal tuberculosis from January 1997 to December 2011 over a period of 15 years was conducted. Thirty two cases (4%) of duodenal tuberculosis were found. The diagnosis of duodenal tuberculosis was based on histopathology following surgery or endoscopic biopsy from the duodenum, ultrasound-guided aspiration cytology/biopsy of lymph nodes or response to anti-tubercular treatment. The patients' clinical presentation was broadly classified into obstructive features and dyspeptic features. Single and/ or double contrast upper gastrointestinal barium studies were reviewed in each case for the segment involved, presence and length of strictures, ulcerations, polypoidal masses, extrinsic impression and complications (viz. perforations and fistulae).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 20 males and 12 females with age range of 7-70 years (mean age 26.6 years) Twenty-seven (84.3%) patients presented with obstructive symptoms and five (15.6%) had predominantly dyspeptic symptoms. The radiological findings in patients with obstructive symptoms were duodenal strictures (n = 19), extrinsic compression (n = 10) and polypoidal intraluminal mass with luminal narrowing (n = 3). Among the patients presenting with dyspeptic symptoms, the most common findings was duodenal ulcerations (n = 3). Perforation was seen in 4 cases and fistulisation in 2 cases. A multiplicity of findings was noted in 7 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Barium studies though not specific for duodenal tuberculosis helped to delineate the mucosal lesions and define the nature, level, and extent of obstruction in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India.
authors.forename: Birinder
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nagi
authors.forename: Anupam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lal
authors.forename: Pankaj
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kochhar
authors.forename: Saroj Kant
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sinha
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D003287:Contrast Media; D004378:Duodenal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004386:Duodenum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014385:Tuberculosis, Gastrointestinal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D001466:Barium Sulfate