Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) has rerisen as a major infectious disease, with the proportion of difficult-to-diagnose extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) cases among all TB now accounting for approximately 20% of those affected in Japan. QuantiFERON® TB-2 G (QFT) has been used to diagnose TB. We report two abdominal TB cases in which QFT appeared to be useful in diagnosis. Case 1: A 75-year-old woman with an abdominal mass was found in CT to have multicystic masses in the lower abdomen and liver, an adrenal mass, and lymphadenopathy in the hilum of the lung. Despite suspected malignancy, laparotomy and incisional biopsy could not provide a definitive diagnosis. QFT, however, showed positive results, leading to a diagnosis of TB. Case 2: A 73-year-old woman with acute peritonitis who had previously undergone two intestinal resections for inflammatory tumors was found in CT to have an abdominal mass. TB was diagnosed based on overall clinical presentation, including QFT. Abdominal TB often requires differential diagnosis for surgical treatment, and QFT appears very useful diagnosing for these cases.
