A Case Series on Abdominal Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a global health concern, primarily affecting the lungs. However, extrapulmonary manifestations of TB can occur, including abdominal TB, which is a rare but serious complication. We present a case series of three patients with abdominal TB, the diagnostic difficulties encountered, the varying nature of the presentation, and different approaches taken to arrive at a definite diagnosis and subsequent treatment. The first case is of a 17-year-old human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative female patient on treatment for pulmonary TB who developed intestinal obstruction; the second case is of an HIV-positive male patient on treatment who presented with abdominal pain and distension for 3 months; and the third case is of an HIV-positive male patient on treatment presenting with acute abdominal pain whose initial evaluation was complicated by an imaging diagnosis of intussusception. These cases highlight the challenging nature of abdominal TB and emphasize the importance of considering it as a differential diagnosis in patients with obstructive symptoms, even in immunocompetent individuals on appropriate treatment.