Gastrointestinal tuberculosis: Diagnostic approaches for this uncommon pathology

Abstract

A case report entitled "Primary gastroduodenal tuberculosis presenting as gastric outlet obstruction" recently published in the World Journal of Clinical Cases presented a rare cause of gastric outlet obstruction and highlighted the atypical manner in which gastrointestinal tuberculosis (TB) can present. The literature with regards to this rare pathology is limited to case reports and case series with the largest being published using data from between 2003 and 2013. However, since then the diagnostic tools available have significantly changed with more modern and increasingly accurate tests now available. This editorial reviews the current state of the art with regards to diagnosis in gastrointestinal TB.

Keywords: Diagnostic approach; Gastrointestinal tuberculosis; Infectious disease; Microbiology; Molecular diagnosis; Serology.

Figure 1

The endoscopic findings of intestinal Crohn’s compared to intestinal Tuberculosis. A: Longitudinal ulcers and cobblestone appearance seen in Crohn’s disease; B: Circumferential ulceration seen in intestinal Tuberculosis. Citation: Ye Z, Lin Y, Cao Q, He Y, Xue L. Granulomas as the Most Useful Histopathological Feature in Distinguishing between Crohn's Disease and Intestinal Tuberculosis in Endoscopic Biopsy Specimens. Medicine (Baltimore) 2015; 94(49): e2157 Copyright ©The Author(s) 2015. All rights reserved. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc[27] (Supplementary material).