Surgical aspects of Abdominal Tuberculosis

Abstract

Tuberculosis is a disease of great antiquity and evidence of bone disease has been found in Egyptian and Pre-Columbian mummies. The study was carried out between March 1999 to December 2002. Out of 158 patients 97% were in their 2nd to 4th decades of life with female predominance (63%). Surgical treatment was opted in 73%, of patients. Pain abdomen (100%) fever (92%), weight loss (63%), mass abdomen (23%) and abdominal distension (50%) were the symptoms and signs diagnostic of tuberculosis. Ulcerative (42%) and hypertrophic (26%) were the commonest pathological types. Resection and anastomosis (31%) right hemicolectomy (17%), jejunostomy (14%) double barrel ileostomy (16.5%) and ileocolostomy (7%) were the procedures carried out. Morbidity (62%) and mortality (9.5%) are very high. Cure lies in prevention rather than chemotherapy or surgery.