Abdominal tuberculosis: an old disease surprising young doctors.
Tuberculosis remains a worldwide public health concern. Atypical extrapulmonary presentations may delay the diagnosis and treatment. We present the case of an adult woman admitted to the emergency department with bowel obstruction. The putative intraoperative diagnostic hypothesis was ovarian cancer with peritoneal dissemination. Histopathological analysis showed a chronic granulomatous inflammatory disease with acid-fast bacilli. The patient was started on an alternative parenteral antituberculosis drug combination until oral feeding was available. Currently, 5 months after surgery, she is asymptomatic. Abdominal tuberculosis is the most frequent extrapulmonary site with a wide range of clinical presentations. Emergency laparotomy may be necessary in patients who present with acute abdomen. Bowel obstruction due to adhesions and strictures is not infrequent. However, tuberculous abdominal cocoon presentation as in our patient is rare. Treatment with parenteral alternative drug regimens for tuberculosis is mandatory until the oral route is available.
B Surgery Department, Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca EPE, Amadora, Lisboa, Portugal.
Marta David
MD
Sousa
Department of Infectious Disease, Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca EPE, Amadora, Lisboa, Portugal.
Joana
J
Batista
Department of Infectious Disease, Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca EPE, Amadora, Lisboa, Portugal.
Patricia
P
Pacheco
Department of Surgery-Cirurgia B, Hospital Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca EPE, Amadora, Portugal.
Vitor
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7773-2427
V
Nunes
D000328:Adult; D000995:Antitubercular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000382:microbiology; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition; D014385:Tuberculosis, Gastrointestinal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*
D000995:Antitubercular Agents