AbstractBackground: Abdominal tuberculosis denotes involvement of the gastrointestinal tract, peritoneum, lymph nodes, and solid viscera. Tuberculous bacteria reach to the gastrointestinal tract via hematogenous spread, ingestion of infected sputum or contiguous spread from adjacent organs. The present study was undertaken to study the various clinicopathological manifestations of abdominal tuberculosis presented as acute abdomen. Methods: This study was conducted on 67 patients of acute abdomen diagnosed as a case of abdominal tuberculosis admitted in department of Surgery, Nehru Hospital attached to B.R.D. Medical College, Gorakhpur, from Jan 2015 to Dec 2015 & have given consent for the study. Results: This study demonstrates that intestinal TB is more common in males (M:F::2.1:1) & average age of presentation was 42.7 yrs. Abdominal pain, altered bowel habits, vomiting and fever were common symptoms, while common diagnosis were that of subacute intestinal obstruction, ileal perforation, adhesions, plastered abdomen and multiple bowel strictures, Diversion loop ileostomy & segmental resection were commonly done procedures, Pulmonary complications & surgical site infection were common complications. Hyperplastic type of intestinal Tuberculosis was more common than Ulcerative type in our study. Conclusion: Abdominal TB has spectrum of presentation from vague abdominal pain with mild fever vomiting and loss of appetite to subacute intestinal obstruction, ileal perforation and plastered abdomen. Surgical intervention were needed whenever the presentation was like acute abdomen, Diversion loop ileostomy was commonly done procedure. On histopathological examination hyperplastic variety was more common than ulcerative type. Rest findings were comparable to the other studies done on abdominal tuberculosis.
Keywords: Acute Abdomen; Intestinal Obstruction; Intestinal Tuberculosis; Ileostomy; Perforation; Stricture.