Uncommon presentation of gastrointestinal tuberculosis-A case series

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is a common disease in underdeveloped countries. Of all tuberculosis cases worldwide, 28% were reported from India. The most prevalent site of infection is the lungs (pulmonary TB), whereas extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) is less common. The most common form of EPTB in India is Lymph Node TB, which accounts for around 35% of total EPTB cases. Splenic tuberculosis incidence is 8 % whereas tuberculosis of pancreas and gall bladder is extremely rare. Pancreatic and gallbladder tuberculosis (GT) is extremely rare and presents with non-specific features. The clinical manifestations of EPTB are variable, imitate other diseases, and are usually confused with other diseases. Thus, it is crucial to be cautious and highly suspicious of EPTB infection in endemic areas. Probability of developing EPTB in immunocompromised patients is higher than in immunocompetent patients. The burden of EPTB in HIV patients ranges from 15 to 20% of all TB cases in HIV-negative patients, while in HIV-positive people, it accounts for around 40–50% of new TB cases. Histopathological examination (HPE) and positive Acid-Fast Bacilli (AFB) smears are used to make the diagnosis. ATT is given to such patients for 6 months. Due to such a diverse presentation of TB, here, we report a case series of extrapulmonary TB occurring in the abdomen in, pancreas, gallbladder, and spleen.