Tuberculous pancreatic abscess as an initial AIDS-defining disorder in a patient infected with the human immunodeficiency virus: case report and review

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is the most common opportunistic infection worldwide in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. Intraabdominal TB includes lymphadenopathy and focal lesions of solid viscera. Symptomatic expression of tuberculous invasion of the pancreas (supplemented by demonstration of a mass on imaging) is rare among HIV-infected patients. We report the case of an HIV-infected patient with a tuberculous pancreatic abscess and review nine similar cases. All patients presented with persistent fever and abdominal pain. The diagnosis was made on the basis of detection of pancreatic mass lesions on computed tomographic (CT) scans and the results of cultures and/or acid-fast stains of peripancreatic abscess material and/or other body fluids. Despite an excellent response to antituberculous therapy, three patients died of unrelated causes. In the setting of a febrile illness with abdominal symptoms, tuberculous pancreatic abscess should be considered in the differential diagnosis for HIV-infected patients with a CT-identified mass lesion.