Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis – a Rare Cause of Difficult Evolution in a Case Of Extensive Anoperianal Suppuration

Abstract

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis is very rare, representing around 15% of all tuberculosis (TB) cases. Intestinal localization of extrapumonary TB occurs in 1% of the cases and is usually associated with HIV infection. The last portion of the ileum and the ileocecal region are most frequently involved, while perianal localization is extremely rare and has clinical and paraclinical aspects similar to Crohn’s disease, thus leading to difficulties in establishing the diagnosis. We present the case of a 41-year-old patient who came to the proctology department with perianal pain and purulent discharge. He was diagnosed by clinical examination and colonoscopy with multiple simple and complex perianal fistulas complicated with a supralevator abscess. Multiple biopsies were taken and the result was necrotizing granulomatous inflammation. The Ziehl-Neelsen test confirmed the suspicion of perianal TB.

Keywords

• tuberculosis
• perianal
• fistula
• extrapulmonary