A CASE OF TUBERCULOSIS OF THE INTESTINE

Abstract

This paper presents a patient who was diagnosed as having intestinal tuberculosis involving the terminal ileum and ascending colon after close exploration for repeated episodes of abdominal pain and was operated on.
A 58-year-old woman with an about 3-year history of repeated episodes of abdominal pain was admitted to the department of internal medicine in our hospital for close exploration on November 21, 2001. Barium enema study, radiography of the small intestine, and colonofiberscopy offered a suspicion of intestinal tuberculosis.
Biopsy yielded Langhans'huge cells, and hence intestinal tuberculosis was diagnosed. Medical treatment with tuberculostats was conducted, but 11 months later, the patient had repeated bouts of intestinal obstruction. The patient was referred to the department for surgery on October 18, 2002. A right hemicolectomy including the ileum by about 1m in length was carried out on October 22. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged from the hospital on the 24^th postoperative day. No recurrence has occurred up to now.