SONOGRAPHIC FINDINGS IN GASTROINTESTINAL AND PERITONEAL TUBERCULOSIS

The various ultrasound (US) findings in 90 patients with abdominal (ga strointestinal, peritoneal, mesenteric and lymph node) tuberculosis (T B) studied in an area of high incidence of TB over a 1 year period wer e analysed. The lesions encountered were intestinal(n=31), extraintest inal (n=39), or a combination (n=20). The extraintestinal lesions incl uded free and loculated ascites (n=36), localized ascites ('Club Sandw ich sign') (n=4), adhesions (n=14), peritoneal thickening (n=14), peri toneal nodules (n=3), lymphadenopathy (n=23) and cold abscesses (n=10) - of these, the presence of fine fibrinous strands in the ascetic flu id, localized ascites and caseous or calcified lymph nodes were highly suspicious of a diagnosis of TB in appropriate clinical settings. The bowel lesions were characterized by concentric bowel wall thickening (n=31) with ulceration in six. Bowel thickening, when present in the i leocaecal junction and especially when situated in the subhepatic posi tion, was suggestive of a tuberculous etiology. Complex masses in the abdomen pointed to an advanced stage of the disease. US is a useful im aging modality in patients clinically suspected of having abdominal TB for diagnosis and follow-up, although in a few cases differentiation of it from metastatic disease is difficult. When bowel involvement is suspected, barium studies should be performed.