CORTICOSTEROID TREATMENT OF PERITONEAL TUBERCULOSIS

Corticosteroids are beneficial as treatment of certain tuberculosis sy ndromes. We reviewed all cases of peritoneal tuberculosis diagnosed at our institution over 10 years to evaluate the role of corticosteroid administration combined with antituberculous therapy. Nine patients we re treated with steroids plus antituberculosis agents (cases), and 26 received antituberculosis treatment only (controls). The two groups we re not significantly different in terms of their basic demographics or disease. Nineteen controls compared with one case had recurrent abdom inal pain. Seven controls had 17 emergency department visits because o f abdominal pain. Intestinal obstruction was diagnosed for five of the se patients, four of whom underwent laparotomy revealing extensive adh esions. Three controls died, and no case died. No case required laparo tomy, had a diagnosis of intestinal obstruction, or visited the emerge ncy department because of abdominal pain. These findings suggest that corticosteroid administration combined with antituberculosis treatment reduces the frequency of morbidity and complications in patients with peritoneal tuberculosis.