ABSTRACT
Gastrointestinal (GI) tuberculosis (TB) accounts for 3-21% of non-pulmonary TB cases. Chronic or active pulmonary TB accompanies 13-67% of GITB cases. Gastrointestinal tuberculosis (GITB) can present in four distinct forms: GI tract, mesenteric lymph node (LN), peritoneal, or solid organ involvement. GITB most commonly seen as ileocecal and peritoneal TB. Characteristic imaging findings include thickening of the ileocecal valve leaves and wide valve opening with thickening of the terminal ileum (Fleischner sign), irregular, shortened, and narrowed, amputated cecum (napkin ring stricture), symmetric, annular, napkin ring-shaped, single or multiple short strictures and obstructions in the small intestine, necrotic and calcified LNs in the mesenteric region, and concomitant peritonitis are characteristic of intestinal TB, however, they are not specific. They may mimic other infections, inflammatory diseases, or other malignancies, including lymphoma. Definitive diagnosis is made by standard smear microscopy, culture, or histopathological evaluation of endoscopic or radiological tissue samples. This study will describe the radiological findings of GI tract TB and discuss the differential diagnostic criteria.
Keywords:
Tuberculosis, abdomen, gastrointestinal tract, imaging
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