HPI

Timeline Signs and Symptoms Implication

2 years, 3.5 mo PTC (Mar 2008)

chronic cough TBloss of appetite TB

weight loss TBafternoon fever TB

body malaise TBlocal HC in Cainta: CXR,

sputum exam TB

1 year, 8.5 mo PTCrepeat CXR, claimed cleared,

no records available Resolution of TB?

HPITimeline Signs and Symptoms Implication

8 months PTC (Feb 2010)

tolerable colicky abdominal pain

Involvement of a hollow organ

bloatedness

Involvement of more distal segments of intestines

abdominal distention

Hallmark of intestinal obstruction;

Involvement of more distal segments of intestines

relieved by passage of flatus or stool

Not obstipated, partial obstruction

HPITimeline Signs and Symptoms Implication

4 weeks PTC

vomiting of ingested food ~1-2x/week

Obstruction

increased frequency and severity of abdominal

distention

Progressive cause of obstruction

colicky pain localized @ RLQ

Possible locations Chronicity rules out

appendicitis

anorexia Malabsorption,

malnutrition

lost 20-30% weight Malabsorption,

malnutrition

HPITimeline Signs and Symptoms Implication

18 days PTC menses

Rules out pregnancy as cause of vomiting, colicky pain

(Ruptured ectopic pregnancy can present as intestinal obstruction)

HPITimeline Signs and Symptoms Implication

On admission

stable vitals

BP, HR and RR important indicators of compensatory responses to a hypovolemic status.

37.8 degrees Celsius is the cut-off point for normal expected temperature in cases of obstruction

ambulatory

evidence of muscle wasting Malabsorption,

malnutrition

hyposthenia Malabsorption,

malnutritionminimally worked up and diagnosed but cannot be cleared for intervention due to pulmonary complications

Primary Impression: GI Tuberculosis

• History of pulmonary tuberculosis with undocumented resolution

• Abdominal pain localized at the right lower quadrant

• Signs and symptoms of obstruction – Bloatedness – Abdominal disentention relieved by passage of flatus

or stool– Vomiting – Anorexia– Progressive

Gastrointestinal Tuberculosis

• Gastrointestinal Tuberculosis is the 6th most common extrapulmonary manifestation of tuberculosis (Chong and Lim 2009)

• Any site of the GI tract may be involved although studies show a predilection to the ileocecal segments (Fauci et al, 2008).– increased density of lymphoid tissue– increased stasis – neutral luminal pH – absorptive transport mechanisms

• route of infection – penetration of the bowel wall– hematogenous dissemination

Gastrointestinal Tuberculosis and its Correlation with Pulmonary Tuberculosis• 25% of gastrointestinal TB cases have evidence of

pulmonary TB• there is a direct correlation between the severity

of pulmonary infection with the presence of GI infection– With minimally advanced pulmonary disease, 1% of

patients have a concomitant GI infection– moderately advanced cases of pulmonary TB, 4.5%

have evidence of GI TB– 25% of patients with severely advanced PTB cases

have concomitant GI TB while – 55% to 90% of fatal cases have GI involvement.

Hamer et al 1998

Gastrointestinal Tuberculosis Manifestations

• Ulcerative form– major form associated with increased pathogenicity and mortality – appears as superficial ulcerative lesions on the epithelial surface.

• Hypertrophic form– scarring, fibrosis and mass formation resembling carcinomatous lesions.

• Ulcerohypertrophic form– combination of the first two with both ulcerations and scar formation

• The host’s immune system plays a major role in determining the presentation. – Those with depressed immune responses are likely to develop the

ulcerative form while those with competent immunologic responses would present with a hypertrophic form of the disease (Chong and Lim. 2009).

Hamer et al 1998

Pathophysiology of the Disease

Imaging Studies

Differential Diagnoses

• Mechanical causes of obstruction– herniations, volvulus and intussusceptions are

ruled out on physical exam and barium studies performed on the patient

– adhesions secondary to previous surgery are unlikely as there is no mention of it in the patient’s history

– Adynamic ileus and colonic pseudo-obstruction are ruled out as colicky pain is absent in both conditions

Fauci 2008

Differential Diagnoses• Causes of RLQ pain– Appendicitis, ruled out by the duration of illness.– Right-sided diverticulitis

• less prevalent form of diverticulitis. • clinical manifestation includes abdominal tenderness,

nausea, emesis, anorexia and GI bleeding (Nirula and Greaney, 1997)

• Obstruction secondary to scarring from an infectious process can be a complication of this disease

• Examinations for ruling out this disease include a complete blood cell count, urinalysis, and flat and upright abdominal radiography.

• Further examinations include CT imaging studies, abdominal radiography with contrast and endoscopy (Roberts et al 1995).

Differential Diagnoses

• Causes of RLQ pain– Gastroenteritis and inflammatory bowel disease • both do not present with obstructive symptoms • lack of diarrhea in the patient• lack of cobblestoning on radiographic studies rules out

inflammatory bowel disease, particularly Crohn’s disease.

Differential Diagnoses

• Causes of RLQ pain– Gynecologic causes of right lower quadrant pain

such as ovarian tumor or torsion, and pelvic inflammatory disease as well as

– Renal causes such as pyelonephritis, perinephritic abscess and nephrolithiasis are ruled out as they do not present with obstructive symptoms.

Differential Diagnoses

• TB peritonitis– uncommon extrapulmonary manifestation– a consideration in patients presenting with several

weeks of abdominal pain, fever, and weight loss. – Ruled out because of the lack of ascites, a major

feature arising from the exudation of proteinaceous fluid from the tubercles

• Ruptured tubal pregnancy presenting as intestinal obstruction is unlikely as the patient reports recent menstruation

Management

1. Alleviation of symptoms of distention via nasogastric decompression

2. Correction of nutritional status3. Resection of the involved tissue4. Demonstration of organism via culture of

resected segment followed by sensitivity testing

5. Anti-mycobacterial treatment using appropriate medications

Management

1. Alleviation of symptoms of distention via nasogastric decompression

2. Correction of nutritional status• serves to prepare the patient for surgical

intervention• monitoring of serum albumin

Management

3. Resection of the involved tissue• obstruction is a leading indication for surgery

in intestinal tuberculosis• other indications for surgery include

ulcerative complications such as free perforation, perforation with abscess, or massive

• Preoperative drug therapy is still controversial

Townsend et al 2008Sharma and Bhatia 2004

Management

3. Resection of the involved tissue• right hemicolectomy with a 5 cm margin with

anastomosis• an ileostomy and a mucous fistula with

subsequent anastomosis

Townsend et al 2008Sharma and Bhatia 2004

Management

4. Demonstration of organism via culture of resected segment followed by sensitivity testing

• definitive diagnosis of mycobacterial infection by acid-fast stain or culture

• PCR methods• culture and sensitivity to determine which

drugs are still effective

Management

5. Anti-mycobacterial treatment using appropriate

• HRZES• RCT: standard 6 month course vs prolonged

courses of conventional TB medication shows no significant difference in cure rates

Sharma and Bhatia 2004