[Gastrointestinal and peritoneal tuberculosis].

One hundred and forty cases of gastrointestinal and/or peritoneal tuberculosis seen in 18 years at Cayetano Heredia National Hospital in Lima, Perú, are reported. The intestinal localization was 48.5%, peritoneal 33% and both 18.5%. These cases represented 4.5% of all patients diagnosed as tuberculosis. The most frequent age group was between 14 and 24 years, male/female ratio: 1/1.2 and the majority came from poor areas of the country. The most frequent symptoms were weight loss, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Anemia and hypoalbuminemia were frequent. Eighty five percent had extra-abdominal tuberculosis. The most frequent complication was intestinal obstruction. The mortality in this study was 14.5%.