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Updated: May 30, 2026

Ileectomy-induced Bile Overaccumulation in Mouse Intestine
Published on: August 21, 2017
[Ileus as a manifestation of intestinal tuberculosis]
Frank Hoentjen1, Pieter C Stokkers, Jan Veenstra
1Sint Lucas Andreas Ziekenhuis, Afd. Maag-, darm- en leverziekten, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. frank.hoentjen@uchospitals.edu
Background:
'Intestinal tuberculosis' is sometimes difficult to diagnose. The symptoms are non-specific and there is an extensive differential diagnosis.
Case Description:
A 27-year-old man from Pakistan presented at the emergency department with a history of constipation, weight loss and abdominal pain. An abdominal CT scan revealed dilated small bowel loops, lymphadenopathy and a thickened intestinal wall of the terminal ileum. Cultures of a cervical lymph node biopsy tested positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis: intestinal tuberculosis. The man eventually recovered after treatment with tuberculostatics.
Conclusion:
The most sensitive methods for establishing the diagnosis 'intestinal tuberculosis' are an abdominal CT scan and a colonoscopy with ileal and colonic biopsies; establishing the diagnosis can be challenging as a result of non-specific test results.
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