[Abdominal tuberculosis in a young immigrant patient: a clinical case]

In developing countries, tuberculosis (TBC) is commonly associated with inadequate socio-economic and sanitary conditions. Currently, in Western countries, TBC is often linked with HIV infection, an ageing population or trans-global migration. Approximately two out of ten TB cases worldwide are extra-pulmonary, of which abdominal tuberculosis accounts for 11%-16%. The Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex involves the abdomen as primary or secondary localization (hematogenous spread or from pulmonary foci or infected neighbouring organs). Abdominal TBC can infect the gastrointestinal tract, peritoneum, mesentery, abdominal lymph nodes, liver, spleen, and pancreas. Diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis is difficult because of vague and non-specific clinical features and due to the differential diagnosis with other granulomatous diseases such as Crohn's Disease. It is of great importance for clinicians to pay great attention to tubercular aetiology as a possible cause of gastrointestinal symptoms. Here we describe the clinical case of a young immigrant patient with intestinal TB for whom the wrong initial diagnosis led to a delay in the correct diagnosis and a worsening of the already serious general conditions.