IMAGING OF TUBERCULOSIS .2. ABDOMINAL MANIFESTATIONS IN 112 PATIENTS

Purpose: To describe the radiological findings of tuberculosis (TB) of the abdomen as reflected at our hospital. Material and Methods: The r adiological files of 503 patients (referred to our institution mainly because of a clinical suspicion of malignancy, and found to have cultu re- or biopsy-proven TB) were reviewed in order to analyze the spectru m of the TB manifestations in this group of patients. Results: Abdomin al manifestations were found in 112 patients, in 1/3 abdominal disease was the only evidence of TB. More than half of the patients also had chest TB. The most common abdominal TB manifestations were peritonitis and lymph node enlargement, each occurring in about 1/3 of the patien ts. Also 1/3 had genitourinary TB manifestations. About 1/5 had TB of the liver, spleen or pancreas or in the gastrointestinal tract, respec tively. Multiple organ involvement was common. Conclusions: The need t o consider TB in the differential diagnosis in patients with obscure a bdominal symptoms, especially with multiple organ involvement, is stre ssed.