A Rare Cause of Acute Appendicitis: Caecal Tuberculosis Mimicking Colon Cancer

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that can involve all organs and tissues. Although pulmonary form is more commonly observed, extrapulmonary TB remains to be an important clinical issue. Although it is less prevalent in Western society, its incidence has increased in the last two decades. The incidence of TB is increasing due to immunosuppressionrelated TB cases caused by human immunodeficiency virus, immunosuppressive drugs following organ transplantation or chemotherapy of cancers that have become increasingly more prevalent lately. In developing countries, poor living conditions are seen as the main cause of TB infection.1,2 Gastrointestinal system (GIS) TB occurs through infection of the abdominal organs and peritoneum by Mycobacterium tuberculosis spp. GIS is the sixth most commonly involved region in cases with extrapulmonary TB following genitourinary system, lymphatic system, skeletal system, meninges and miliary TB.3 GIS TB may be either primary or secondary. The disease involves ileocecal region or jejunum in approximately 75% of cases with GIS TB.4 Isolated colon involvement (other than ileocecal region) is extremely rare, accounting for 2-3% of all abdominal TB cases.5 Abdominal TB presents with abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever and weight