[Esophageal tuberculosis: case report and review of the literature]

The esophageal tuberculosis is the rarest form of this infection in the gastrointestinal tract, corresponding to 0.15% of the cases. This pathology is unusual even in countries with high prevalence of tuberculosis. Its clinical presentation could be easily confused with the one of esophageal carcinoma. The diagnosis is reached by demonstrating in a sample of the mucosa the presence of caseating granulomas or by finding the Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a sample of tissue. In the present case report 73-year-old male with dysphagia, weight loss and fever is presented. At the endoscopy an ulcerated lesion of 5 centimeters in the lower third of the esophagus that compromises 50% of the circumference is observed. In the chest x-ray there are bilateral lung infiltrates confirmed by the CT scan. A baciloscopy is done and the result is positive. At the histological analysis giant cells are found and there is evidence of tuberculous bacillus. The patient develops an intestinal obstruction secondary to chagasic megacolon. He presents a massive hemoptisis and die. The aim of this presentation is to comment a pathology rarely reported in the literature and enhance the importance of considering it according to the clinical context.