TB Research

Gastric tuberculosis mimicking liver abscess - A case report

Bhut B, Ghoshal UC, Verma A

The Indian journal of tuberculosis · 2020-02

Abstract

Tuberculosis of the stomach is quite rare, both as a primary or secondary infection. It has varied presentation ranging from non-specific abdominal pain and constitutional symptoms to hematemesis, gastric outlet obstruction and pyrexia of unknown origin. Here, we report a rare, interesting case of locally advanced gastric tuberculosis, which morphologically mimicked liver abscess initially in a young, immunocompetent patient presenting with fever and abdominal pain. The disease was diagnosed by GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay, and responded well to antituberculosis medication without surgery. Clinicians must bear in mind that, even in the absence of immunodeficiency, as in this case, tuberculosis can involve any site in the gastrointestinal tract and may present with a variety of presentation and infiltrating adjacent organ that might be mistaken as malignancy. This is first case report of gastric tuberculosis, which is locally advanced with adjacent liver infiltration initially thought to be left lobe liver abscess.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Tuberculosis, Gastrointestinal
  • Tuberculosis, Hepatic
  • Liver Abscess, Amebic
  • Lymphoma
  • Adenocarcinoma
  • Stomach Neoplasms
  • Stomach Diseases
  • Antitubercular Agents
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Ultrasonography
  • Gastroscopy
  • Biopsy
  • Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques
  • Adult
  • Male