Tuberculous peritonitis

We report a case of tuberculous peritonitis in a 24-year-old male patient. On admission, he was complaining of abdominal fullness and fever. Ultrasound tomography and computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen showed massive ascites with multiple septa. The most interesting feature of this case was the diffuse and intense uptake of gallium-67 in the abdomen. Though the initial chest X-ray showed only slight bilateral pleural effusion, and cultures from ascites, stool, sputum, and pleural effusion were negative for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, CT scan of the lung showed a small consolidation shadow with contractile change, similar to tuberculosis. A few days after the CT scan of the lung, the sputum was positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Finally we diagnosed active tuberculous peritonitis, and then started antituberculous therapy. In patients with massive ascites and fever of unknown origin, tuberculous peritonitis must be considered. Gallium-67 scintigraphy has been shown to be useful when there is a high index of suspicion of tuberculous peritonitis.     

Tuberculous peritonitis with infracarinal mass and elevated CA-125 in a 13-year-old girl

A 13-year-old girl with weight loss and ascites was admitted with suspicion of a malignant disease. Abdominal magnetic resonance imaging indicated extensive peritonitis and showed no evidence of a solid tumor. As a new imaging observation, thoracic computed tomography showed a lymphoma-like infracarinal mass and further enlarged lymph nodes in the pathway of draining lymph ducts. A tuberculin skin test and an interferon-gamma blood test were positive, and the tumor marker CA-125 was elevated. Histology of a peritoneal biopsy showed infectious granulomas with central necrosis, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis could be cultured, leading to the diagnosis of a tuberculous peritonitis. The girl received multi-drug anti-tuberculous treatment and subsequently recovered. At follow-up the peritonitis and the infracarinal mass had vanished. In conclusion, tuberculous peritonitis is a rare but relevant differential diagnosis in peritonitis of unknown origin. Its diagnosis is facilitated by imaging, by tuberculosis skin and blood tests, and by clinical interpretation.     

Tuberculous peritonitis in Egypt: the value of laparoscopy in diagnosis.

Abdominal laparoscopy was performed on 200 patients with undiagnosed ascites. It was unsuccessful in one patient with tuberculous peritonitis because of extensive adhesions. A presumptive diagnosis of tuberculous peritonitis based on clinical findings and peritoneal tubercles or adhesions visualized during laparoscopy was made in 90 of these patients. The diagnosis was confirmed in 88 by histopathology, bacteriology, or therapeutic response. Two of the 109 remaining patients who had other presumptive diagnoses made during laparoscopy were eventually confirmed to be cases of tuberculous peritonitis. Of 91 patients with tuberculous peritonitis included in this series, 79% were females, with the majority (79%) of them being of child-bearing age. Half had been ill for longer than one month. The most frequent complaints were abdominal pain, fever, anorexia, night sweats, abdominal swelling, and weight loss. Ascites, fever, wasting, pallor, and abdominal tenderness were common findings. Ultrasonography demonstrated ascites in all patients who underwent this procedure; 21% also had adhesions. Pleural effusion was present in 15% and pulmonary tuberculosis was detected in only two patients. Biopsy samples taken during laparoscopy showed that 60% had noncaseous granulomas and 33% had caseous granulomas. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was detected in 77%, with guinea pig inoculation having the highest sensitivity, followed by culture, and lastly by acid-fast smear. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated more easily from biopsy samples than from ascitic fluid. Nine of 20 M. tuberculosis isolates that were identified as to species were M. bovis. Tuberculous peritonitis, a frequent cause of febrile ascites in Egyptian women, was easily diagnosed by histopathologic and bacteriologic studies of biopsy samples taken at laparoscopy. All patients responded rapidly to antituberculosis therapy.     

Polymerase chain reaction for non-invasive diagnosis of brain mass lesions caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Report of five cases in human immunodeficiency virus-positive subjects

To investigate whether the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on the IS6110 sequence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis could permit the early and non-invasive diagnosis of tuberculous brain lesions without meningeal involvement in acquired immunodeficiency virus patients, we examined retrospective cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from five patients diagnosed as having cerebral lesions caused by M. tuberculosis. M. tuberculosis deoxyribonucleic acid was detected in CSF samples obtained from each of the patients studied, but in none of the controls. The PCR results coincided with M. tuberculosis isolation from CSF in two patients. In an additional two subjects, culture for M. tuberculosis on CSF was negative, and the diagnosis of central nervous system tuberculosis was achieved by response to specific therapy. In the last patient the PCR result on CSF was confirmed by isolation of M. tuberculosis from brain biopsy. Interestingly, in this patient the CSF did not yield M. tuberculosis isolation when cultured. The data show the value of PCR as a potentially useful approach for the early and rapid diagnosis of cerebral tuberculosis even without meningitis.     

腹腔镜检查对腹膜病变的诊断价值

目的 研究腹腔镜检查及直视下腹膜活检对腹膜病变的诊断价值。方法 应用MachidaFLA-8腹腔镜及直视下腹膜活检诊断腹膜病变。结果 腹腔镜检查及直视下腹膜活检131例中，122例（93.1%)活检病理诊断阳性，其中结核性腹膜炎（TBP）63例，腹膜癌（PC）56例，腹膜恶性间皮瘤2例，腹膜恶性淋巴瘤1例，TBP临床误诊率为58.8%。而PC为91.1%。TBP的腹腔镜性间皮瘤2例，腹膜恶性淋巴瘤1例，TBP临床误诊率为58.8%，而PC为91.1%，TBP的腹腔镜所见主要为腹膜与邻近脏器表面有比较均匀一致的粟粒样白色结节，常散在或成群地分布于腹膜上活检时组织较软。而PC的所见主要是腹膜与邻近脏器表面有大小不一的灰白色斑块和结节，活检时有明显的坚硬感。结论 腹膜病变临床诊断困难，误诊率高，腹腔镜检查及直视下腹膜活检是最有效的诊断方法，可以确定诊断。     

Tuberculous peritonitis--reports of 26 cases, detailing diagnostic and therapeutic problems

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical presentation, biochemical (ascites and serum) and laparoscopic findings, and to assess the efficacy of triple antituberculous therapy without rifampicin for 6 months in patients with tuberculous peritonitis. METHODS: Twenty-six tuberculous peritonitis patients (11 male, 15 female) with a mean age of 34.8 +/- 3.4 years (range 14-77) were assessed with regard to diagnostic and therapeutic features. RESULTS: The most common symptoms and signs were abdominal pain (92.3%) and ascites (96.2%), respectively. Tuberculin skin test (TST) was positive in all patients. An abnormal chest radiography suggestive of previous tuberculosis was present in five patients (19.2%), and two patients (7.7%) had extra-peritoneal (cerebral, pericardial) active tuberculous involvement. In 24 of the 25 patients who underwent laparoscopy with directed biopsy, whitish nodules suggested tuberculous peritonitis; 76% of the biopsy specimens revealed caseating, 20% non-caseating granulomatous inflammation, and 4% non-specific findings. The ascitic fluid of one patient (3.8%) was positive for acid-resistant bacilli, and culture was positive in two patients (7.7%). Twenty-four of the patients were treated for 6 months with isoniazid, streptomycin (total dose 40 g) and pyrazinamide (for the first 2 months and then substituted with ethambutol). Eighteen patients also received methyl prednisolone, initially 20 mg/day, for 1 month. The follow-up period was 19 +/- 1.7 months after the end of therapy (range 6-36). Ascites and abdominal pain abated earlier in patients on steroid therapy. All but two of the 24 patients responded to treatment. CONCLUSION: Non-invasive tests such as acid-fast stain and culture of the ascitic fluid are usually insufficient, hence invasive laparoscopy and peritoneal biopsy are necessary for the diagnosis of tuberculous peritonitis if non-invasive tests such as ascites adenosine deaminase activity measurement are not easily available. Triple therapy without rifampicin for 6 months is sufficient to treat tuberculous peritonitis.     

Correlation between culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and IgG antibody to Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen-5 in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with tuberculous meningitis

A retrospective study was made of the correlation between culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and detection of IgG antibody to M. tuberculosis antigen-5 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by means of an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Mycobacterium tuberculosis was cultured from the CSF in 14 of 70 patients with a clinical diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM). IgG antibody to M. tuberculosis antigen-5 was demonstrated in significant titres (80–640) in all 14 culture-positive patients. Thus, positive correlation was observed between culture of M. tuberculosis and detection of IgG antibody in the CSF. As a result of this observation, the CSF from 56 culture-negative patients with a clinical diagnosis TBM was specifically investigated for the detection of IgG antibody to M. tuberculosis antigen-5 and the findings were correlated with those of culture-positive patients. The assay was positive in 34 of 56 patients, the antibody titre ranging between 80 and 640. In the CSF of 70 patients with non-tuberculous neurological diseases, the assay was negative at a dilution of 1 in 80. Thus, detection of IgG antibody to M. tuberculosis antigen-5 by indirect ELISA carried 100% specificity and 60·7 % sensitivity for a tuberculous aetiology in culture-negative patients with TBM. The results of this study suggest that indirect ELISA for IgG antibody to M. tuberculosis antigen-5 in CSF holds definite promise in diagnosis of TBM, particularly when repeated cultures of CSF are negative for M. tuberculosis.     

The detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in bone marrow aspirate using the polymerase chain reaction

Setting: Tygerberg Hospital, South Africa.Objective: Bone marrow aspirate and biopsy were obtained from 37 patients who were in-patients at the Tygerberg hospital. The specificity and sensitivity of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in bone marrow aspirate was evaluated.Design: The PCR was compared to standard culture as well as to clinical and bone marrow biopsy data in 24 patients with suspected tuberculosis (TB).Results: 12 of the 24 patients eventually had definite or probable TB and in these 12 patients the detection incidence was 42% for PCR and 25% for culture.Conclusion: This study confirms that it is possible to use PCR to detect M. tuberculosis in bone marrow aspirate material and that this technique is more sensitive than culture methods. The PCR technique has the added advantage of being a rapid test yielding results within 2 days of sampling. Overall sensitivity for the detection of M. tuberculosis in bone marrow aspirate may be improved to 67% by using both culture and PCR techniques.     

Diagnostic value of fibrolaparoscopy and direct-vision peritoneal biopsy in atypical tuberculous peritonitis]

Fifty-three cases of atypical tuberculous peritonitis were diagnosed by Machida FLA-8 fibrolaparoscope and direct-vision peritoneal biopsy in our hospital during the last few years. The misdiagnosis rate of this disease is very high. The rate of accurate clinical diagnosis was only 39.6% in patients of this study, while 60.4% was misdiagnosed as other diseases, such as cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis, hepatic carcinoma ovarian cyst etc. In addition, many patients with other diseases were misdiagnosed as tuberculous peritonitis by clinical consideration, for instance, 56 cases who were diagnosed or doubted as tuberculous peritonitis by clinical consideration were diagnosed as other diseases by laparoscopy and liver and peritoneal biopsy under direct-vision. Among them chronic hepatitis accounted for 32 cases, peritoneal carcinoma 11 cases, cirrhosis 7 cases, normal peritoneum, liver, gall bladder and spleen 6 cases. Therefore, the patient who is presumptively diagnosed as tuberculous peritonitis by clinical consideration should have laparoscopy and direct-vision peritoneal biopsy performed.     

A case of tuberculous peritonitis

We report a case of a 73-year-old man with tuberculous peritonitis. He had sought treatment at a clinic near his house for his fever and abdominal distension. Massive ascites were found and he was referred to our hospital. The endoscopy and abdominal CT scan performed on admission revealed no abnormal findings except the massive ascites. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MT) DNA was detected in the ascitic fluid by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and ascitic adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity was 127.6 U/l. He was diagnosed as tuberculous peritonitis and transferred to the Department of Respiratory Medicine. A chest CT scan showed predominant right pleural effusion with no other abnormal findings in bilateral lung fields. His sputum were all positive by smear acid-fast staining, MT DNA and culture on MT. His final diagnosis was tuberculous peritonitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, and tuberculous pleuritis. Treatment was started by anti-tuberculosis drugs with combined use of isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. The therapy was continued for 6 months. The culture for MT (Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube) converted to negative after 2 weeks of treatment and the C-reactive protein level became normal after a month. The pleural effusion and ascites disappeared after 2 and 3 months, respectively. Tuberculous peritonitis is a relatively rare disease, however when we encounter unexplained ascites, MT PCR and the measurement of ADA should be done considering a rapid diagnosis of tuberculous peritonitis, before invasive diagnostic laparoscopy.     

多功能腹膜检查针在结核性腹膜炎诊断中的应用研究

目的评价多功能腹膜检查针在结核性腹膜炎诊断中的应用价值。方法2001年1月至2005年9月对第二军医大学附属上海长征医院消化内科收治的27例结核性腹膜炎住院患者中19例用自制多功能腹膜检查针行腹膜活检,并与患者的临床表现、辅助检查、腹腔镜等检查结果进行比较。结果27例患者中,5例根据症状、体征、血沉、血清和腹水癌抗原(CA125)以及腺苷脱氨酶(ADA)、抗结核抗体、腹水抗酸染色、PPD试验高度考虑结核性腹膜炎,余22例临床诊断依据不足的患者中,19例行腹膜检查针活检,其中14例病理报告提示腹膜结核病,确诊率73.68%,5例病理报告提示纤维组织增生、慢性炎性细胞浸润,不排除腹膜结核病,疑诊率26.32%;另外3例行腹腔镜检查确诊。结论自制多功能腹膜检查针行腹膜活检,操作简单,创伤性小,病理确诊率高,在无腹腔镜的单位或无条件进行腹腔镜检查的疑似结核性腹膜炎患者中,进行该项检查更具实用价值。     

Peritoneoscopy in the diagnosis of tuberculous peritonitis

Seventy-four patients with tuberculous peritonitis were examined by peritoneoscopy (laparoscopy). The characteristic features were uniform miliary tubercles studding the visceral and parietal peritoneum together with numerous adhesions between bowel loops, liver capsule, and abdominal walls. Guided biopsy yielded a definitive diagnosis in 56 cases. Special precautions are urged to avoid an increased risk of complications by peritoneoscopy and biopsy in tuberculous peritonitis.     

The continuing search for Mycobacterium tuberculosis involvement in sarcoidosis: a study on archival biopsy specimens

Introduction: Increasing evidence indicates that mycobacteria may be involved in the aetiology and pathophysiology of sarcoidosis. Objectives: To investigate the association between Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex infection and sarcoidosis. Methods: Mediastinal lymph node biopsy specimens (formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded) from 52 Danish patients with sarcoidosis, 50 patients with mediastinal lymphadenopathy of other non‐mycobacterial causes (negative controls) and 12 patients with histologically and/or culture‐verified mycobacteriosis (positive controls) were included in the study. Biopsy samples were analysed for the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex by strand displacement assay and a subset of specimens were examined for bacterial rRNA by fluorescent in situ hybridisation using an eubacterial probe with general bacterial specificity (EUB338). Results: One patient with sarcoidosis displayed a positive M. tuberculosis complex test. All negative controls were negative in the test and 5/12 patients with mycobacteriosis were positive in the test. We detected M. tuberculosis complex DNA in 10‐year‐old biopsy samples. Thirty‐six samples were tested with the eubacterial probe; of these, 67% were positive with no difference between patients and controls. Conclusion: Our results do not support the hypothesis that M. tuberculosis complex infection is involved in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis. However, we stress the importance of excluding mycobacteriosis in the diagnostic workup of sarcoidosis patients. Please cite this paper as: Svendsen CB, Milman N, Rasmussen EM, Thomsen VØ, Andersen CB and Krogfelt KA. The continuing search for Mycobacterium tuberculosis involvement in sarcoidosis: a study on archival biopsy specimens. Clin Respir J 2011; 5: 99–104.     

欠发达地区结核性腹膜炎40例

目的:总结结核性腹膜炎(tuberculous peritonitis,TBP)临床特点,进一步提高临床医生对TBP的认识水平.方法:收集40例TBP患者的病例资料,对其发病情况、临床表现、实验室和辅助检查、诊疗经过等方面进行回顾性分析并复习文献.结果:本组TBP患者年龄以20-40岁为高发(57.5%),仅22.5%的病例既往有结核病史或慢性疾病史.发病以慢性起病多见(85.0%),症状以腹胀(85.0%)、食欲减退(67.5%)、发热(52.5%)、腹痛(47.5%)常见.体征以腹水(67.5%)、腹痛(65.0%)多见,腹壁柔韧感少见(35.0%).血清学检查特异性低,腹水多呈渗出液的特点,但腹水ADA>33U/L,单核细胞占优势等有助于诊断TBP的特点较少见(16.0%-34.0%).腹水抗酸杆菌涂片和结核菌培养阳性率低(4.75%,0%).PPD实验和胸部X线的阳性率均为37.5%.CT和B超检查多数表现为腹水、腹膜增厚、粘连等(78%),女性患者子宫、附件受累常见(72.7%).本组TBP患者误诊5例,误诊率为12.5%,最常见是误诊为妇科肿瘤(n=3).仅4例患者(10%)获病原学或病理确诊,其余90%依靠试验性抗结核治疗获得诊断.结论:在欠发达地区,目前依靠腹腔镜、B超引导下活检等手段获得病理标本,确诊TBP的比例仍很低.绝大部分TBP病例诊断主要依靠试验性抗结核治疗及对疗效的动态观察.临床医生能够怀疑到TBP的可能并积极试验性抗结核治疗是TBP诊断的关键.对2wk试验性抗结核治疗效果不好的病例,要动员患者接受更积极的腹腔镜检查,以免贻误病情.     

Peliosis hepatis due to disseminated tuberculosis in a patient with AIDS

Peliosis hepatis is a rare histopathological entity of unknown etiology. We present a case of peliosis hepatis in a 44-year-old man with disseminated tuberculosis and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The diagnosis of peliosis hepatis was based on liver biopsy results which were suggestive of tuberculous etiology. Diagnosis of tuberculosis was confirmed by auramine stain, rRNA amplification and culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from synovial fluid of the elbow joint. The patient responded favourably to tuberculostatic treatment with four drugs and the early initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy. Histopathological evidence of peliosis hepatis, without an obvious cause, makes it necessary to rule out tuberculosis, especially in the context of immunodeficiency diseases and immigrants from endemic areas.     

Tuberculous peritonitis: analysis of 211 cases in Taiwan

BackgroundTuberculosis infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis or other Mycobacterium species is a major communicable disease worldwide.AimWe evaluated the epidemiology of tuberculous peritonitis to determine diagnostic features and factors related to late diagnosis.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 211 tuberculous peritonitis cases diagnosed between January 1999 and December 2009. Clinical features, laboratory data, and diagnostic methods were analysed.ResultsSubjects included 115 males (54.5%) and 96 females (45.5%) with median age 61.0 years (range 43–72) and 29.2 days mean duration from symptoms to diagnosis. Disease histories included end-stage renal disease (20.9%), pulmonary tuberculosis (36.0%) and liver cirrhosis (23.7%). Most common symptoms were abdominal distension (80.1%), abdominal pain (68.7%) and weight loss (45.5%). Most common signs were ascites (62.6%) and fever (55.5%). One-year survival rate was 89.9%; 21 patients died during follow-up. Mortality risk was higher in patients with more concomitant diseases, including liver cirrhosis, AIDS, chronic steroid use, alcoholism, GI bleeding, haemoptysis, period from symptom presentation to treatment, secondary bacterial peritonitis requiring emergent operation.ConclusionsIncreased duration between symptoms and definitive diagnosis increases mortality risk. Early diagnosis and prompt initiation of anti-tuberculosis therapy improve prognosis. Neutrophil-predominant ascites influences poor prognosis when correlated with secondary bacterial peritonitis.     

Miliary tuberculosis and necrotizing tuberculous fasciitis – An unusual coexistence in a rheumatoid arthritis patient

We report a case of a 65‐year‐old Korean female patient with rheumatoid arthritis, who presented with extensive necrotizing fasciitis of the gluteus muscles, as an unusual initial manifestation of miliary tuberculosis. The patient had been previously treated with conventional disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs and low‐dose steroids for 7 years. However, she recently developed fever, warmth and painful swelling in her right buttock. Magnetic resonance imaging indicated necrotizing fasciitis of the gluteus muscles and a fasciectomy specimen revealed a Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Two weeks after a fasciectomy, miliary tuberculosis of the lung was diagnosed by high resolution chest computed tomography. Soft tissue infection due to M. tuberculosis should be included as a differential diagnosis in the immunocompromised host. Clinicians should be alert to the possibility of miliary tuberculosis even in the absence of respiratory symptoms and normal chest radiograph.     

Hepatobiliary tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is known to involve the liver in different ways. The term hepatobiliary tuberculosis refers to the localized form of hepatic tuberculosis as a distinct clinical entity, with signs and symptoms related to the hepatobiliary tract. Its clinical features and the different diagnostic aids used in its diagnosis are reviewed. Plain abdominal radiographs showing diffuse hepatic calcifications seen in approximately 50% of cases are almost diagnostic for hepatobiliary tuberculosis. Liver biopsies obtained either by ultrasound, computed tomography or laparoscopy, showing caseating granuloma usually establish the diagnosis. In the absence of caseation necrosis, a positive acid-fast bacillus (AFB) or culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis is needed to establish the diagnosis. A polymerase chain reaction assay for the identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in liver biopsy specimens is a new development. Treatment is similar to that used for pulmonary tuberculosis. Quadruple therapy (using four anti-tuberculosis drugs) is recommended, generally for 1 year. For patients with obstructive jaundice, in addition to anti-tuberculous treatment, biliary decompression should be performed either by stent insertion during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatology, by percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage or by surgical decompression whenever feasible.     

Cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis with cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis: a case report and literature review

Cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis (CLV) is a small-vessel vasculitis localized to the skin. Many possible causes exist for this pathological condition, including drugs, infection, collagen vascular disease, and malignancy. However, Mycobacterium tuberculosis is rarely reported to be associated with CLV. Here, we report a 49-year-old male patient that presented with fever, myalgia, and multiple palpable purpura on both of his legs. The biopsy from the purpura yielded a histologic diagnosis of leukocytoclastic vasculitis. The patient had several enlarged lymph nodes on his right neck, and the biopsy revealed tuberculous lymphadenitis. There were no signs of vasculitis present in the internal organs. After anti-tuberculosis treatment, his fever declined and the skin purpura were completely resolved. Although incidence is rare, tuberculosis should be considered as a possible cause of CLV.