Tuberculous liver abscess is uncommonly seen in our experience. We report a case of a 17-year-old boy who presented with typical clinical features of liver abscess, where a diagnosis of tuberculous liver abscess was made on laparotomy and biopsy of the abscess wall.
A 55-year-old immunocompetent woman was presented with features of obstructive jaundice and a clinicoradiological picture suggestive of a hilar cholangiocarcinoma (Klatskin tumour). However, caseating granulomatous lesion associated with miliary nodules were revealed intraoperatively. The lesion responded to standard antituberculous therapy. This unusual presentation highlights the considerable diagnostic challenge in such case.
Objectives: Tuberculosis remains a common infection and is often associated with non-specific constitutional symptoms or laboratory investigations regardless of site of manifestations. This study compares the profiles of abdominal tuberculosis (ATB) and pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).
Methods: Patients with ATB (n=34, male-21, mean age 43.3 ± 16.0 years) diagnosed over a nine year period were identified from the National Tuberculosis registry and retrospectively reviewed. Comparisons were made with patients treated for PTB (n=163).
Results: The most commonly affected sites were the ileocecal regions, peritoneum and hepatobiliary system. Common clinical presentations were abdominal pain (61.8%), anorexia (44.1%), weight loss (55.9%), fever (41.1%) and abdominal distension (29.4%). Four patients had concomitant active PTB. Compared to PTB, patients with ATB had significantly lower serum haemoglobin (11.6 ± 2.4 vs. 12.6 ± 2.0 gm/dL, p=0.036) and higher rate of adverse events of antituberculous treatment (50% vs. 15.4%, p<0.001). There were no difference in prevalence of constitutional symptoms (fever, weight loss and anorexia), platelet level, albumin, total protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Importantly, there was no difference in the treatment
response. More patients with ATB and concomitant active PTB had reported weight loss (100% vs. 36.7%, p=0.017).
Conclusion: There are differences in the profiles of ATB and PTB. Awareness of such differences can help to improve the understanding and management of this infection.
Tuberculosis in children remains a public heath concern in Malaysia and other developing countries. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) infection of the liver, known as hepatic TB, is an extra pulmonary manifestation of TB. Tuberculous bacilli can reach the liver via hematogenous dissemination through hepatic artery, or by local spread from the gastrointestinal tract via portal vein [1].(Copied from article)
Hepatic involvement in extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is rare, even in the endemic area. It has a high mortality rate as it can easily be misdiagnosed due to its rarity and non-specific presentations, and the treatment can be challenging for its hepatotoxic side-effect. A 55-year old man who was newly diagnosed with AIDS and pulmonary TB which complicated with anti-TB-induced transaminitis, presented with a few weeks history of fever and persistent diarrhoea. It was initially treated as microsporidia infection but the symptoms persisted despite given antiparasitic agent for more than a week. He was subjected to computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and noted multiple hypoechoic lesion at multiple segments of the liver, which later confirmed to be liver TB by liver biopsy. As he could not tolerate Akurit-4 (Rifampicin 150 mg, Isoniazid 75 mg, Pyrazinamide 400 mg and Ethambutol 275 mg), the second-line treatment was given instead. He is currently well on regular clinic appointment. The objective of this case report is to share the rare occurrence of hepatic TB and the difficulty to treat it as the hepatotoxic effect of anti-TB medications complicate the liver damage due to the infection.