Intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) represents an important diagnostic challenge in the clinical setting, as it generally can occur as a chronic condition often mimicking other diseases such as Crohn’s disease (CD), and can present itself with acute onset, which can be lifethreatening. A 29-years-old Chinese woman coming to ER with abdominal pain, fever and weight loss. Computed tomography and colonoscopy images were not diagnostic. Despite medical therapy, the patient progressively worsened developing sepsis requiring emergency surgery. Pathological and microbiological examination of the colon both pointed towards gastrointestinal tuberculosis involvement. Although ITB is generally a chronic-wasting condition, it can also occur as acute abdomen representing an absolute surgical emergency. Although caseation and necrosis in granulomas can be used for diagnosis of ITB, preoperative diagnosis is still challenging. Endoscopic biopsies targeted to ulcerous lesions could be an essential diagnostic tool, contrary to those targeted to the ulcers’ edges as performed in CD.

Gastrointestinal tuberculosis presenting as acute abdomen: a case report / S. Ridolfo, F. Cammarata, A.M. Bonomi, A. Troci, M. Crespi, P. Molteni, A. Pellegrinelli, S. Ardizzone, P. Danelli. - In: JOURNAL OF SURGICAL CASE REPORTS. - ISSN 2042-8812. - 2022:6(2022), pp. 1-3. [10.1093/jscr/rjac305]

Gastrointestinal tuberculosis presenting as acute abdomen: a case report

F. Cammarata
;
S. Ardizzone
Penultimo
;
P. Danelli
Ultimo
2022

Abstract

Intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) represents an important diagnostic challenge in the clinical setting, as it generally can occur as a chronic condition often mimicking other diseases such as Crohn’s disease (CD), and can present itself with acute onset, which can be lifethreatening. A 29-years-old Chinese woman coming to ER with abdominal pain, fever and weight loss. Computed tomography and colonoscopy images were not diagnostic. Despite medical therapy, the patient progressively worsened developing sepsis requiring emergency surgery. Pathological and microbiological examination of the colon both pointed towards gastrointestinal tuberculosis involvement. Although ITB is generally a chronic-wasting condition, it can also occur as acute abdomen representing an absolute surgical emergency. Although caseation and necrosis in granulomas can be used for diagnosis of ITB, preoperative diagnosis is still challenging. Endoscopic biopsies targeted to ulcerous lesions could be an essential diagnostic tool, contrary to those targeted to the ulcers’ edges as performed in CD.
Settore MED/18 - Chirurgia Generale
2022
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/932386
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