Abdominal tuberculosis in surgical practice in northern Nigeria

• Published in: Nigerian journal of medicine Vol. 19; no. 4; pp. 415 - 418
• Main Authors: Dauda, M M, Ahmed, A, Okpapi, J U, Ahmed, S A, Randawa, A J, Mukhtar, H M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nigeria 01.10.2010
• Subjects: Abdomen; Abdominal Pain - etiology; Abdominal Pain - surgery; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antitubercular Agents - therapeutic use; Biopsy; Child; Female; Hospitals, Teaching; Humans; Incidence; Incidental Findings; Laparotomy; Male; Middle Aged; Nigeria - epidemiology; Peritonitis, Tuberculous - complications; Peritonitis, Tuberculous - drug therapy; Peritonitis, Tuberculous - epidemiology; Peritonitis, Tuberculous - surgery; Retrospective Studies; Tuberculosis, Gastrointestinal - complications; Tuberculosis, Gastrointestinal - drug therapy; Tuberculosis, Gastrointestinal - epidemiology; Tuberculosis, Gastrointestinal - surgery; Young Adult; Nigeria
• ISSN: 1115-2613; 1115-2613
• DOI: 10.4314/njm.v19i4.61966

Abdominal tuberculosis is a common complication of pulmonary tuberculosis. With the rising incidence of HIV, tuberculosis has become a major public health problem particularly in developing countries. This is a retrospective study involving patients whose surgical specimens were processed at the central histopathology laboratory of the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) Zaria--Nigeria, between January 1975 to December 2006. There were 68 males and 49 females, aged 12-70 years (mean 28.6 yrs 11 yrs). While paroxysmal dry cough was present in about 20 patients, abdominal pain and distension were very common. Concomitant pulmonary tuberculosis was confirmed in 15 patients (14%). The findings at Surgery in 66 patients are presented in fig. 2. Multiple deposits on the peritoneum and omentum were the commonest findings (48.7% and 26.2%) respectively Abdominal tuberculosis is not uncommon and there is need to establish an early less invasive diagnostic protocol.