Primary intestinal tuberculosis in the Sudan

Abstract

The pathology and bacteriology of fatal primary intestinal tuberculosis are described. The disease occurred in adults and was characterized by massive abdominal lymphadenopathy with minimal lesions in the intestines. The liver and spleen were involved in the form of nodular caseous lesions. Clinically, hepatic lesions simulated malignant disease of the liver. In advanced cases, the histological changes consisted of massive caseation without inflammatory cellular reaction. In 22 out of 23 cases where a bacteriological examination was carried out, the causative organism was Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Possible explanations for this are presented.