Tuberculous peritonitis in Lesotho.

Tuberculous peritonitis, although a common cause of ascites in Africa, previously was rarely diagnosed in Lesotho. We evaluated prospectively 105 consecutive patients admitted with ascites: tuberculosis accounted for 42% of the cases. Clinical differentiation from other causes of ascites proved to be difficult: signs and symptoms commonly associated with this disease were non-specific and often absent. The majority of our patients were elderly, male and alcoholic. Mortality was 26% despite treatment, and was highest among the aged and those who abused alcohol.