Open AccessTuberculous appendicitis
Author(s) -
Khalid Rabbani,
Y. Narjis,
A. Difaa,
A. Louzi,
R. Benelkhaiat,
B. Finech
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the saudi journal of gastroenterology/saudi journal of gastroenterology
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.608
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1998-4049
pISSN - 1319-3767
DOI - 10.4103/1319-3767.82587
Subject(s) - medicine , appendix , tuberculosis , appendicitis , extrapulmonary tuberculosis , abdomen , signs and symptoms , physical examination , antibiotic therapy , histopathological examination , surgery , general surgery , dermatology , antibiotics , pathology , mycobacterium tuberculosis , paleontology , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Gastrointestinal tuberculosis is quite rare, representing only 3% of all extrapulmonary cases. Involvement of the appendix is rare, only occurring in about 1% of cases. It is usually secondary to tuberculosis elsewhere in the abdomen. A prompt diagnosis depends on a high index of suspicion as clinical signs may be nonspecific and microbiological confirmation is difficult. Histopathologic examination is often the only way to reach a diagnosis and to establish specific antibiotic therapy. In these cases, due to the absence of specific symptoms and signs, the diagnosis is delayed until after surgery.