Abdominal Tuberculosis: a Benign Differential Diagnosis for Peritoneal Carcinosis: Report of a Case

Abstract

Tuberculosis remains a challenge in medicine despite availability of antibiotic treatments. Latent tuberculosis is found in a third of the world’s population. Abdominal tuberculosis is a rare condition in high-income countries, with peritoneal tuberculosis and splenic abscess occurring even less frequently, even in countries with higher prevalence of abdominal tuberculosis. We describe such an uncommon constellation of peritoneal tuberculosis and splenic abscess. Our case demonstrates the challenges in diagnosing abdominal tuberculosis, providing the caveat that tuberculosis should be kept in mind whenever unspecific findings occur in abdominal imaging or unusual surgical findings. In our case, thorough history-taking - including explicit questionings about tuberculosis exposition decades ago - provided the only lead pointing towards the correct interpretation of otherwise unspecific findings. In our case, tuberculosis as a differential diagnosis to peritoneal carcinosis was only implied after histopathological evaluation, followed by timely diagnostics for pulmonary involvement and potential infectiousness.