Tuberculous peritonitis during pregnancy: Case report

Introduction: Tuberculous Peritonitis (TP) in pregnancy is a rare condition, and the diagnosis can be deleyed because of the symptoms non specificity. Case report: 31-year-old parturient primigravidia at 34 weeks of amenorrhea presented diffuse and intense abdominal pain with vomiting. Examination found abdominal distention with ascites. Investigations did not lead to a precise diagnosis, therefore, an exploration by laporotomy with cesarean delivery were performed. The diagnosis of Tuberculous peritonitis on histopathologic examination was confirmed. Discussion: Tuberculous peritonitisis extremely rare in pregnancy, and the rate of TP among all forms of tuberculosis varies from 0.1% to 0.7% worldwide. Gold standards for the diagnosis of TP are the identification of M. tuberculosis in ascites and peritoneal biopsy findings compatible with tuberculosis. Bacteriologic examination of the biopsy specimen should be performed, because this could be positive for tuberculosis when histological examination is negative. Conclusion: The early diagnosis and treatment of TP in pregnancy are important to prevent obstetric and neonatal morbidities. Keywords: tuberculous peritinitis; pregnancy; rare; delayed diagnosis.