Open AccessPeritoneal tuberculosis: Diagnostic options
Author(s) -
Lal N.,
SotoWright V.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
infectious diseases in obstetrics and gynecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.656
H-Index - 48
eISSN - 1098-0997
pISSN - 1064-7449
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-0997(1999)7:5<244::aid-idog7>3.0.co;2-1
Subject(s) - medicine , tuberculosis , differential diagnosis , disease , surgery , abdominal pain , general surgery , pathology
Background Extrapulmonary tuberculosis has vague symptoms and few signs. It is essential to recognize and diagnose this curable disease prior to performing definitive surgery. Newer tests such as DNA or RNA amplification allow for early diagnosis but have limitations. Case We report a case of peritoneal tuberculosis in an immigrant woman. She had vague symptoms of low‐grade fever, mild abdominal pain, obstipation, and bloating. Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed to establish the diagnosis. Tuberculosis was confirmed by DNA extraction from the frozen section specimen with subsequent analysis using polymerase chain reaction. Conclusion Peritoneal tuberculosis is a disease that often simulates malignancies. With the increasing prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus in developed countries, tuberculosis is also on the rise and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a patient with an abdominal/pelvic mass and ascites. Infect. Dis. Obstet. Gynecol. 7:244–247, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.