Hepatic tuberculosis: myriad of hues
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Pankaj Gupta; Jayendra Nath Shukla; Vishal Sharma; Arup Choudhury; Day Krishna Jha; Gaurav Mahajan
- Source
- Germs
- Subject
- Microbiology (medical)
Pathology
medicine.medical_specialty
GeneXpert MTB/RIF
Tuberculosis
General Immunology and Microbiology
Epidemiology
business.industry
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Case Report
medicine.disease
Malignancy
Infectious Diseases
Ascites
medicine
Granulomatous Hepatitis
Pseudomyxoma peritonei
Differential diagnosis
medicine.symptom
business
Liver abscess
- Language
- English
Introduction Gastrointestinal tuberculosis is an important form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis but liver involvement is uncommon. Hepatic tuberculosis can manifest in variable manners including as a space occupying lesion, diffuse infiltration by granulomas (granulomatous hepatitis) and as liver abscess. Hepatic tuberculosis is usually associated with lesions elsewhere but the diagnosis is often not considered because of rarity. Case report We report two cases of hepatic involvement by tuberculosis: one in the form of liver abscess and the other having multiple hypodense hepatic lesions along with peritoneal involvement. The presence of ascites, visceral scalloping and multiple hypodense lesions resulted in a diagnostic confusion with disseminated malignancy but GeneXpert Ultra (Cepheid, USA) helped in making the diagnosis. Discussion Hepatic tuberculosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hepatic space occupying lesions and abscesses. This is especially important in TB endemic regions and in patients where there is involvement of other organs especially the lungs. Conclusions Newer microbiological modalities including GeneXpert Ultra could help in making a diagnosis of hepatic tuberculosis.