ABDOMINAL TUBERCULOSIS IN AHMADI, KUWAIT - A CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL REVIEW

For studying abdominal tuberculosis (TB) in Ahmadi, files of all patie nts admitted to our hospital with abdominal TB over 15 years (1981-199 6) were reviewed. Nineteen patients are reported here. Young adults we re predominant in our study. The non-Arab Asians were the most frequen tly affected group in relation to their population in Ahmadi, and Kuwa itis were the least frequently affected group. Abdominal pain, sweatin g, anorexia and fever were the most frequent presenting symptoms. Asci tes and intestinal obstruction were the most frequent clinical present ations. Two patients presented with acute appendicitis and one patient had tuberculous pancreatitis. Abdominal lymph nodes, peritoneum, ileu m and caecum were the most frequently affected abdominal structures. W e found laparoscopy very helpful in the diagnosis of abdominal TB and we recommend it as the diagnostic method of choice. All our patients r esponded well to antituberculous chemotherapy. It should be kept in mi nd that abdominal TB still affects the indigenous and expatriate popul ation of Kuwait.