An Abdominal Infection Simulating Malignancy : A Case Report

Abstract

Tuberculosis is notorious for its afiction to the lungs.However, one mustn't forget the case burden that extra pulmonary TB imposes.Here we present a case of a middle aged woman who came with non specic complaints per abdomen.Her abdominal pain, discomfort, loss of weight and appetite along with clinical examination and investigations pointed towards malignancy. On surgical exploration and histopathological examination, the case was conrmed as that of abdominal TB.Tuberculosis of the abdomen is one of the extra pulmonary sites where tubercular bacilli can reside. In such cases, apart from treating tuberculosis medically with anti tubercular therapy, one must also order a chest X-ray to identify any pulmonary foci of tuberculosis. This is to curb any potential spread of infection. Further, one must look acutely at cases with non specic ndings and consider TB in the differential diagnosis, particularly if the patient hails from a TB endemic region.With a keen eye for tuberculosis along with corroborative and relevant investigations, one can diagnose this chronic illness and put patients well on the road to recovery.