GASTRODUODENAL TUBERCULOSIS - A SERIES OF 12 CASES

Gastroduodenal tuberculosis is a rare disease, which still raises diag nostic problems because of its poorly suggestive polymorphous clinical expression, its nonpathognomonic radiological and endoscopic features and finally the difficulty of obtaining conclusive preoperative biops ies. The authors analysed 12 cases of gastroduodenal tuberculosis. Les ions often had a pseudoneoplastic appearance. Chest x-ray was normal i n 6 patients. The diagnosis was an intraoperative or postoperative his tological surprise in 9 patients. Histological examination is the deci sive diagnostic element, avoiding excessive surgical resection of a di sease which responds favourably to medical treatment.