A clinico-radiological reappraisal of intestinal tuberculosis--changing profile?

Intestinal tuberculosis is still common in developing countries. In 186 patients with intestinal tuberculosis, clinical features, radiological findings and complications were carefully recorded and compared with those from earlier studies with a view to study any possible changes after the liberal use of antitubercular drugs. Sixty two percent of the patients in the present series had had prior exposure to antitubercular drugs. The incidence of systemic symptoms like fever and anorexia, alternating diarrhoea and constipation, peritoneal and lymph node involvements and associated pulmonary lesions were less frequently observed. On the other hand, an indolent and complicated course with intestinal obstruction (47%) and lower gastrointestinal bleeding (5.5%) and frequent colonic involvement (19%) often necessitating surgical intervention appeared to have become more frequent than reported in earlier series. Awareness of these changes in the clinical profile of intestinal tuberculosis should be helpful in the diagnosis and management of the condition.