Display options
Cite
Park H, Kansara T, Victoria AM, et al. Intestinal Tuberculosis: A Diagnostic Challenge. Cureus. 2021;13(2):e13058doi: 10.7759/cureus.13058.
Park, H., Kansara, T., Victoria, A. M., Boma, N., & Hong, J. (2021). Intestinal Tuberculosis: A Diagnostic Challenge. Cureus, 13(2), e13058. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.13058
Park, Hansang, et al. "Intestinal Tuberculosis: A Diagnostic Challenge." Cureus vol. 13,2 (2021): e13058. doi: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.13058
Park H, Kansara T, Victoria AM, Boma N, Hong J. Intestinal Tuberculosis: A Diagnostic Challenge. Cureus. 2021 Feb 01;13(2):e13058. doi: 10.7759/cureus.13058. PMID: 33680600; PMCID: PMC7927906.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Cureus. 2021 Feb 01;13(2):e13058. doi: 10.7759/cureus.13058.

Intestinal Tuberculosis: A Diagnostic Challenge.

Cureus

Hansang Park, Tikal Kansara, Ana M Victoria, Noella Boma, Jungrak Hong

Affiliations

  1. Internal Medicine, New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (NYC HHC) Metropolitan, New York, USA.
  2. Internal Medicine, New York Medical College, Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York, USA.
  3. Internal Medicine, Metropolitan Hospital, New York, USA.

PMID: 33680600 PMCID: PMC7927906 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.13058

Abstract

Diagnosing intestinal tuberculosis (TB) with uncommon clinical manifestations is often challenging. Here, we report a case of an alcoholic patient who presented with vague symptoms and was later diagnosed with intestinal TB. This patient experienced multiorgan failure causing hemodynamic instability requiring ionotropic support; acute hypoxic respiratory failure managed with non-invasive positive pressure ventilation, hepatic failure, transudative peritoneal effusion, and transudative pleural effusion. These conditions clouded our judgment to pursue colonoscopy for a definite diagnosis and delayed the anti-tuberculosis treatment. When intestinal tuberculosis TB is suspected, the differential diagnosis must be established with other gastrointestinal involving diseases, including mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and Crohn's disease (CD). MAC can show overlapping features with intestinal TB or coexist with it; Acid-fast stain and tissue culture are the key tests to differentiate these two. In the presence of diagnostic uncertainty between intestinal TB and CD, a therapeutic trial with anti-tuberculous therapy may be warranted.

Copyright © 2021, Park et al.

Keywords: abdominal tb; abdominal tuberculosis; intestinal tb; intestinal tuberculosis; mac; mtb; mycobacterium; mycobacterium tuberculosis; tb; tuberculosis

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

References

  1. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 1998 Jun;31(2):113-8 - PubMed
  2. Curr Infect Dis Rep. 2016 Dec;18(12):45 - PubMed
  3. Clin Infect Dis. 2015 Sep 1;61(5):750-7 - PubMed
  4. World J Gastroenterol. 2014 Oct 28;20(40):14831-40 - PubMed
  5. Digestion. 2012;85(3):202-9 - PubMed
  6. Am J Gastroenterol. 2009 Apr;104(4):1003-12 - PubMed
  7. Am J Gastroenterol. 2010 Mar;105(3):642-51 - PubMed
  8. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2017 Sep;23(9):1614-1623 - PubMed
  9. J Assoc Physicians India. 2016 Feb;64(2):38-47 - PubMed
  10. Abdom Imaging. 1999 Jan-Feb;24(1):32-8 - PubMed
  11. J Clin Gastroenterol. 1990 Oct;12(5):550-4 - PubMed
  12. Clin Infect Dis. 2002 Aug 15;35(4):409-13 - PubMed
  13. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2017 Jan;45(1):27-36 - PubMed
  14. Postgrad Med J. 1998 Aug;74(874):459-67 - PubMed
  15. Dig Dis Sci. 2011 Jan;56(1):188-96 - PubMed
  16. Am J Gastroenterol. 1993 Jan;88(1):75-9 - PubMed
  17. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016 Nov 01;11:CD012163 - PubMed
  18. Intest Res. 2017 Apr;15(2):149-159 - PubMed

Publication Types