RADIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF COMPLICATIONS OF INTESTINAL TUBERCULOSIS

Complications of intestinal tuberculosis may be masked. This study aim s to heighten awareness of these unusual clinical complications and th e radiological findings in such cases. Over a period of 5 years, 21 pa tients with proven intestinal tuberculosis, 13 of whom presented with complications, are presented in this report. Radiological diagnosis wa s by barium gastrointestinal studies and computed tomographic (CT) eva luation. Surgical specimens and histopathology confirmed the diagnosis . The commonest complication was intestinal obstruction (N=6). Others were esophagobronchial and duodenocolic fistulas (N=2), significant ga strointestinal hemorrhage (N=3) caused by ulcers in the small bowel an d colon, and malabsorption syndrome (N=3) caused by diffuse small bowe l infiltration in 2 cases and duodenocolic fistula in the third case. None of the patients presented were immunocompromised. Though uncommon , tuberculosis should be considered in patients presenting clinically with intestinal obstruction, significant gastrointestinal hemorrhage a nd malabsorption state. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rig hts reserved.