Clinico-Demographic Characteristics of Intestinal Tuberculosis in Pre-Operative Unsuspected Laparotomy as Incidental Findings in Bangladesh

Background: Clinical presentation of intestinal tuberculosis is varied. It is also essential to know the clinical and demographic characteristics of incidentally detected intestinal tuberculosis patient. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to find out the clinic-demographic characteristics of intestinal tuberculosis in clinically and preoperatively unsuspected laparotomies. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the Department of Surgery at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka from March 2002 to March 2004 for a period of two (2) years. All the patients underwent laparotomy presented without any suspicion of pulmonary or intestinal tuberculosis were included as study population. Patients who were without the history of cough, haemoptysis, antitubercular drug therapy were included. Per operative suspicion was raised due to enlarged lymph nodes in mesentery, omental masses, ileocaecal masses, suspicious growth in ileum, omental thickening, perforation suspected by tuberculosis. Biopsy was taken from suspicious lesions. Histopathology was confirmed the tubercular lesion. Results: A total number of 300 patients under laparotomy were recruited for this study of which 38 positive cases were found in the study with a percentage of 12.7%. Maximum affected age group was 21 to 30 years which was 16 (42%) cases. Male was predominant to female which was 28 (73.7%) cases and 10 (26.3%) cases respectively. Low socioeconomic people are affected more (76.3%). Most common presentation in positive cases was acute and sub-acute intestinal obstruction 20 (52.6%) followed by intestinal perforation (26.31%). Conclusion: In conclusion young age male patient is the most commonly affected intestinal tuberculosis which is frequently presented with sub-acute intestinal obstruction among the preoperatively unsuspected laparotomy patients.