Tuberculous peritonitis

Area of Science:

• Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Tuberculous peritonitis is a significant extrapulmonary manifestation of tuberculosis.
• Diagnosis and management can be challenging, especially in endemic areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the clinical characteristics, diagnostic methods, and outcomes of tuberculous peritonitis patients.
• To identify common symptoms, signs, and associations with extra-abdominal tuberculosis.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 40 patient records with tuberculous peritonitis.
• Analysis of demographic data, clinical presentation, diagnostic procedures, and treatment outcomes.
• Follow-up data collection averaging 6.5 years.

Main Results:

• The study population (n=40) predominantly comprised African Americans (39) and males (24), with an average age of 36.5 years.
• Common symptoms included fever, abdominal pain, weight loss, and swelling; key signs were tenderness, fever, and ascites.
• Diagnosis involved laparotomy (24), paracentesis (8), peritoneoscopy (2), autopsy (4), and hernial repair (2).
• A history or concurrent diagnosis of extra-abdominal tuberculosis was noted in 12 patients.
• Mortality was 30% (12/40) during the study period, with 22 patients alive at follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Tuberculous peritonitis presents with non-specific symptoms, necessitating a high index of suspicion.
• Diagnostic modalities like laparotomy and paracentesis are crucial for confirmation.
• While mortality exists, a significant proportion of patients achieve long-term survival.