Peritoneal thickening: It's not always carcinomatosis

Abstract

The peritoneal pseudotumor localization of tuberculosis is a rare clinical form, representing 1 to 3% of extrapulmonary site of tuberculosis. It represents the sixth most common extra pulmonary site of tuberculosis. It is a great mimicker with major overlapping clinical and imaging features. Differentiating peritoneal tuberculosis and peritoneal carcinomatosis in imaging remains challenging. We present a case of a 37-year old woman complaining of chronic abdominal pain and distension who has been diagnosed to have peritoneal carcinomatosis based on CT findings, histopathological study then revealed necrotizing, granulomatous inflammation consistent with tuberculosis. This case showed the interest to be aware of the common and uncommon imaging features of tuberculosis by radiologists to better assess for alternative differential diagnosis.

Keywords

• Peritoneal thickening
• Carcinomatosis
• Tuberculosis
• CT scan