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Updated: Mar 24, 2026
Analysis of 18FDG PET/CT Imaging as a Tool for Studying Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection and Treatment in Non-human Primates
Published on: September 5, 2017
Abdominal tuberculosis in a low prevalence country
A Fillion1, P Ortega-Deballon2, S Al-Samman2
1Infectious Diseases Department, University Hospital of Dijon, BP 97908, 21000 Dijon, France.
Objective:
Abdominal tuberculosis is a rare disease. The clinical and radiological manifestations are non-specific and the diagnosis is difficult. Our objective was to describe the characteristics and treatment of patients presenting with abdominal tuberculosis in a low-incidence country.
Patients And Methods:
We reviewed the clinical, diagnostic, treatment, and outcome features of patients presenting with abdominal tuberculosis diagnosed by bacteriological and/or histological results and managed in five French university hospitals from January 2000 to December 2009.
Results:
We included 21 patients. The mean diagnostic delay was 13 months. Twelve patients (57%) came from a low-incidence area and only two had a known immunosuppressed condition. Eighteen patients (86%) presented with abdominal symptoms. The main organs involved were the peritoneum (n=14, 66%), the mesenteric lymph nodes (n=13, 62%), and the bowel (n=7, 33%). Sixteen patients (76%) underwent surgery, including two in an emergency setting. Seventeen patients (81%) received six months or more of anti-tuberculosis treatment. Finally, 16 patients (76%) had a positive outcome.
Conclusion:
New diagnostic procedures, and especially molecular biology, may help diagnose unusual clinical presentations of tuberculosis. Invasive procedures are frequently necessary to obtain samples but also for the treatment of digestive involvement.
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