Clinical Case Reports for the Evidence-Based Era

Gastrointestinal tuberculosis was common in the period before the introduction of effective anti-tuberculosis treatment. It occurred in 1/4 of patients with advanced pulmonary tuberculosis. It is now rare in developed countries. In the gastrointestinal tract, intestinal tuberculosis manifests as infiltrates and ulcerations in the intestinal wall, most often in the cecum region. Among the symptoms of intestinal tuberculosis are severe abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, fever, diarrhea, painful stool pushing, pain on defecation. In some cases, there may be obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract due to inflammatory tuberculous tumor.