Abstract

Tuberculous peritonitis is not an uncommon disease, but the diagnosis is often missed and delayed because of the variability of disease presentation and non-specific clinical manifestations. In this report, we discuss a rare case of tuberculous peritonitis which presented as a submucosal mass in the colon. A 61-year-old woman registered at our hospital for a physical check-up. She had a weight loss of 3 kg over the past 6 months. The colonoscopic findings showed submucosal lesions (4 and 6 mm in size, yellow in color, and hard) which were suspected to be a carcinoid tumor. However, an abdomen-pelvic CT scan and laparoscopic findings suggested peritoneal tuberculosis. The result of laparoscopic biopsies was chronic granulomatous inflammation without caseous necrosis. After the standard anti-tuberculosis medications for 6 months, the previous lesions on the CT scan had resolved. (Intest Res 2009;7:60-63)

• Keywords: Submucosal Tumor; Colon; Peritonitis, Tuberculous