Zafar Iqbal, Jamshaid T, Uzma Yousuf, Muhammad Ali Awan.
Gastro intestinal Tuberculosis - A retrospective study of 50 patients.
Pak J Gastroenterol Jan ;16(2):23-9.

The diagnosis of Gastrointestinal Tuberculosis is often delayed increasing the morbidity associated with this treatable condition. In this study, the clinical presentations and outcomes of 50 patients with GI TB are reviewed. The aim was to elucidate the presenting signs & symptoms so as to help the physicians improve their ability to make diagnosis. The most common clinical presentation was a triad of abdominal pain, fever and weight loss. This triad was present in 75% of patients. Time to diagnosis ranged from 30 days to 180 days with a mean time of diagnosis of 50 days. These finding suggest that diagnosis of GI Et hepatic Tuberculosis is often delayed. Possible reasons for delay include nonspecific signs and symptoms and failure to consider TB in the initial differential diagnosis, especially when mode of presentation is with Enteric involvement. Complications are also frequent and are associated with mortality. Once diagnosed, the outcome of GI TB in this series was favourable.

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