Abdominal tuberculosis involving the jejunum, although rare, can manifest with nonspecific symptoms, posing challenges in diagnosis and management, especially in elderly individuals. The clinical course of a 74-year-old man who complained of acute onset vomiting, constipation, and abdominal discomfort is described in this case report. He was eventually found to have a small intestinal (jejunal) blockage as a result of abdominal tuberculosis (TB). The patient's significant unintentional weight loss over six months further complicated the clinical presentation. Radiological investigations, including abdominal X-rays, ultrasonography, and CT scans played a crucial role in identifying features suggestive of small bowel obstruction and guiding further management. Additionally, histopathological examination of the resected small bowel confirmed the diagnosis of necrotizing granulomatous inflammation, likely of tuberculosis origin. Management involved a combination of antituberculous therapy and surgical intervention. This example emphasizes how crucial it is to rule out abdominal TB when making a differential diagnosis for older patients who exhibit vague gastrointestinal symptoms, particularly in areas where the disease is prevalent or in those who have recognized risk factors. Timely diagnosis and multidisciplinary management involving clinical, radiological, and surgical expertise are essential for achieving favorable outcomes in such cases.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11830955PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.7759/cureus.77603DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

abdominal tuberculosis
8
small bowel
8
abdominal
5
jejunal tuberculosis
4
tuberculosis presenting
4
presenting acute
4
acute intestinal
4
intestinal obstruction
4
obstruction 74-year-old
4
74-year-old patient
4

Similar Publications

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by acid-fast bacillus pertaining to the complex. Pulmonary TB is the most common presentation, resulting either from primary infection or reactivation of latent disease. In rare cases, wide dissemination of can occur, usually by hematogenous or lymphatic route, leading to multiorgan involvement and potentially life-threatening conditions known as disseminated TB.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Disseminated tuberculosis (TB) presenting as miliary nodules on the gallbladder and liver is extremely rare and poses significant diagnostic challenges. This report describes a case of disseminated TB discovered during emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis.

Case Presentation: A 77-year-old male presented with decreased appetite, weight loss, and fever.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Actinomycosis is a rare, chronic infectious disease caused by Actinomyces spp., characterized by an indolent and slowly progressive course. It represents a diagnostic challenge since its nonspecific clinical features often lead to misdiagnosis, mimicking pathologies such as solid neoplasms, active tuberculosis, nocardiosis, fungal infections, or other granulomatous diseases.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

 are non-spore-forming anaerobic bacteria that can be part of the normal flora of human oral, intestinal, and urogenital tracts. Mucosal disruption can lead to an infection characterized by granulomatous inflammation leading to abscess formation and sinus tracts classically draining pus with sulfur granules. Most actinomycosis cases are polymicrobial, involving various aerobic and non-aerobic bacteria.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Abdominal tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most common forms of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. It is mostly diagnosed with difficulty due to lower bacterial content. The present study evaluated the clinical accuracy of IS6110-based molecular techniques for diagnosing abdominal tuberculosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!