Intestinal tuberculosis complicated with perforation in an immunocompetent patient: Case report and review of the literature

Introduction: Intestinal tuberculosis (ITB), a rare yet severe manifestation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, poses significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to its nonspecific clinical presentation. Perforation, a life-threatening complication, necessitates prompt surgical inter...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Imen Ben Ismail, Saber Rebii, Mlika Mouna, Marwen Sghaier, Khadija Yaich, Ayoub Zoghlami
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-10-01
Series:Heliyon
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024151274
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850194189590986752
author Imen Ben Ismail
Saber Rebii
Mlika Mouna
Marwen Sghaier
Khadija Yaich
Ayoub Zoghlami
author_facet Imen Ben Ismail
Saber Rebii
Mlika Mouna
Marwen Sghaier
Khadija Yaich
Ayoub Zoghlami
author_sort Imen Ben Ismail
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Intestinal tuberculosis (ITB), a rare yet severe manifestation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, poses significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to its nonspecific clinical presentation. Perforation, a life-threatening complication, necessitates prompt surgical intervention and effective antituberculous therapy. Case presentation: This case study highlights a 41-year-old immunocompetent male who presented with fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, and significant weight loss. A computed tomography scan revealed minimal pneumoperitoneum, intestinal wall thickening, mesenteric fat stranding, lymphadenopathy, and an intra-abdominal abscess. Exploratory laparotomy identified a perforation at the terminal ileum, leading to ileocaecal resection and stoma formation. Histopathological examination confirmed ITB, and a nine-month regimen of antituberculous medication was initiated. Discussion: ITB, more common in immunocompromised individuals, can also affect immunocompetent patients, often mimicking other gastrointestinal conditions and delaying diagnosis. This case underscores the importance of considering ITB in differential diagnoses for patients with vague gastrointestinal symptoms. Diagnostic confirmation typically requires a combination of clinical, radiological, and microbiological assessments, with histopathology playing a crucial role. Factors such as age and comorbidities can increase the risk of severe complications like perforation. Surgical resection with anastomosis tends to yield better outcomes than direct closure, and comprehensive antituberculous therapy is essential for successful treatment. Conclusion: The complexity of diagnosing and managing ITB, compounded by its severe complications, necessitates heightened awareness among healthcare providers. Accurate diagnosis, timely surgical intervention, and rigorous antituberculous therapy are vital for improving patient outcomes, especially in high-risk populations or regions with prevalent TB.
format Article
id doaj-art-751f2a845b084051932f8d56d444eebd
institution OA Journals
issn 2405-8440
language English
publishDate 2024-10-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Heliyon
spelling doaj-art-751f2a845b084051932f8d56d444eebd2025-08-20T02:14:03ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402024-10-011020e3909610.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e39096Intestinal tuberculosis complicated with perforation in an immunocompetent patient: Case report and review of the literatureImen Ben Ismail0Saber Rebii1Mlika Mouna2Marwen Sghaier3Khadija Yaich4Ayoub Zoghlami5University of Tunis El Manar Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Department of General Surgery, Trauma Center Ben Arous, Tunisia; Corresponding author.University of Tunis El Manar Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Department of General Surgery, Trauma Center Ben Arous, TunisiaUniversity of Tunis El Manar Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Department of Pathology, Trauma Center Ben Arous, TunisiaUniversity of Tunis El Manar Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Department of General Surgery, Trauma Center Ben Arous, TunisiaUniversity of Tunis El Manar Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Department of General Surgery, Trauma Center Ben Arous, TunisiaUniversity of Tunis El Manar Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Department of General Surgery, Trauma Center Ben Arous, TunisiaIntroduction: Intestinal tuberculosis (ITB), a rare yet severe manifestation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, poses significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to its nonspecific clinical presentation. Perforation, a life-threatening complication, necessitates prompt surgical intervention and effective antituberculous therapy. Case presentation: This case study highlights a 41-year-old immunocompetent male who presented with fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, and significant weight loss. A computed tomography scan revealed minimal pneumoperitoneum, intestinal wall thickening, mesenteric fat stranding, lymphadenopathy, and an intra-abdominal abscess. Exploratory laparotomy identified a perforation at the terminal ileum, leading to ileocaecal resection and stoma formation. Histopathological examination confirmed ITB, and a nine-month regimen of antituberculous medication was initiated. Discussion: ITB, more common in immunocompromised individuals, can also affect immunocompetent patients, often mimicking other gastrointestinal conditions and delaying diagnosis. This case underscores the importance of considering ITB in differential diagnoses for patients with vague gastrointestinal symptoms. Diagnostic confirmation typically requires a combination of clinical, radiological, and microbiological assessments, with histopathology playing a crucial role. Factors such as age and comorbidities can increase the risk of severe complications like perforation. Surgical resection with anastomosis tends to yield better outcomes than direct closure, and comprehensive antituberculous therapy is essential for successful treatment. Conclusion: The complexity of diagnosing and managing ITB, compounded by its severe complications, necessitates heightened awareness among healthcare providers. Accurate diagnosis, timely surgical intervention, and rigorous antituberculous therapy are vital for improving patient outcomes, especially in high-risk populations or regions with prevalent TB.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024151274Intestinal tuberculosisMycobacterium tuberculosisPerforationAbdominal tuberculosis
spellingShingle Imen Ben Ismail
Saber Rebii
Mlika Mouna
Marwen Sghaier
Khadija Yaich
Ayoub Zoghlami
Intestinal tuberculosis complicated with perforation in an immunocompetent patient: Case report and review of the literature
Heliyon
Intestinal tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Perforation
Abdominal tuberculosis
title Intestinal tuberculosis complicated with perforation in an immunocompetent patient: Case report and review of the literature
title_full Intestinal tuberculosis complicated with perforation in an immunocompetent patient: Case report and review of the literature
title_fullStr Intestinal tuberculosis complicated with perforation in an immunocompetent patient: Case report and review of the literature
title_full_unstemmed Intestinal tuberculosis complicated with perforation in an immunocompetent patient: Case report and review of the literature
title_short Intestinal tuberculosis complicated with perforation in an immunocompetent patient: Case report and review of the literature
title_sort intestinal tuberculosis complicated with perforation in an immunocompetent patient case report and review of the literature
topic Intestinal tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Perforation
Abdominal tuberculosis
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024151274
work_keys_str_mv AT imenbenismail intestinaltuberculosiscomplicatedwithperforationinanimmunocompetentpatientcasereportandreviewoftheliterature
AT saberrebii intestinaltuberculosiscomplicatedwithperforationinanimmunocompetentpatientcasereportandreviewoftheliterature
AT mlikamouna intestinaltuberculosiscomplicatedwithperforationinanimmunocompetentpatientcasereportandreviewoftheliterature
AT marwensghaier intestinaltuberculosiscomplicatedwithperforationinanimmunocompetentpatientcasereportandreviewoftheliterature
AT khadijayaich intestinaltuberculosiscomplicatedwithperforationinanimmunocompetentpatientcasereportandreviewoftheliterature
AT ayoubzoghlami intestinaltuberculosiscomplicatedwithperforationinanimmunocompetentpatientcasereportandreviewoftheliterature