ABDOMINAL TUBERCULOSIS

DEFINITION

Tubercular infection of abdominal organs is

called abdominal tuberculosis.abdominal
tuberculosis include:
1)Intestinal tuberculosis
2)Peritoneal tuberculosis
3)Tuberculosis of lymphnodes:
 AETIOLOGY
• Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the cause
PATHOLOGY
• In Intestinal tuberculosis lesions are
-75% of lesions are found in ileo caecal area.
The lesion may be ulcerative ,hypertrophic or
ulcerohypertrophic

• In peritoneal tuberculosis-common mode of presentation

of abdominal TB

• In tuberculosis of lymph nodes: predominant is mesenteric

lymph node. The nodes become enlarged and palpable
 CLINICAL FEATURES
• Fever
• anorexia
• Weight loss
• Weakness
• Abdominal pain
• Intermittent constipation
• Diarrhoea, malabsorption
• Abdominal distension
• SIGNS: doughy feel of abdomen
ascites
hepato spleenomegaly
lymph node may be palpable
mass may be palpable at right iliac fossa
 INVESTIGATIONS
• Complete blood count: Hb, TC ,DC, ESR
• Mantoux test
• Chest XRAY
• AFB stain
• Plain X ray of abdomen-multiple fluid levels
-calcified lymph nodes
• Barium meal and enema
• Ascitic fluid examination
 TREATMENT
• Balanced diet
• Correction of anaemia
• Antispasmodic drugs like buscopan for
abdominal pain
• Anti tubercular drugs: CATEGORY I
• Surgery indicated if acute intestinal
obstruction occured
 DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS
• Appendicular lump
• Chronic amoebiasis
• Chron’s disease
• Lymphoma
• Caecal carcinoma
 COMPLICATIONS
• Hemorrhage
• Perforation
• Intestinal obstruction
• fistula formation
• malabsorption