Clinical Analysis of Intestinal Tuberculosis: A Retrospective Study

PURPOSE: This study aimed to summarize and analyze the clinical data of intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) in order to provide guidance for accurate diagnosis and treatment of ITB. METHODS: This study consecutively included patients with ITB who were admitted to our hospital from 2008 to 2021 and retrospectively analyzed their clinical features. RESULTS: Forty-six patients were included. The most common clinical symptom was weight loss (67.4%). Seventy percent of 20 patients were positive for tuberculin skin test; 57.1% of 14 patients were positive for mycobacterium tuberculosis specific cellular immune response test, while 84.6% of 26 patients were positive for tuberculosis infection T cell spot test. By chest computed tomography (CT) examination, 25% and 5.6% of 36 patients were diagnosed with active pulmonary tuberculosis and with inactive pulmonary tuberculosis, respectively. By abdominal CT examination, the most common sign was abdominal lymph node enlargement (43.2%). Forty-two patients underwent colonoscopy, and the most common endoscopic manifestation was ileocecal ulcer (59.5%), followed by colonic ulcer (35.7%) and ileocecal valve deformity (26.2%). ITB most frequently involved the terminal ileum/ileocecal region (76.1%). Granulomatous inflammation with multinucleated giant cells and caseous necrosis was found via endoscopic biopsies, the ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy of enlarged mesentery lymph nodes, and surgical interventions. The acid-fast bacilli were discovered in 53.1% of 32 samples. Twenty-one cases highly suspected of ITB were confirmed after responding to empiric anti-tuberculosis therapy. CONCLUSIONS: It was necessary to comprehensively analyze clinical features to make an accurate diagnosis of ITB and aid in distinguishing ITB from diseases such as Crohn's disease and malignant tumors.