Histomorphological spectrum of gastrointestinal tuberculosis

Abstract EN

Objective :To study histomorphologic changes in Gastrointestinal Tuberculosis (GITB) and to determine the frequency of Primary versus Secondary TB.

To determine the frequency of different group of lymphnodes involvement.

Methods : A study of 40 resected and autopsy specimens over 6 years period was undertaken in the Department of Pathology.

Blocks from formaline fixed specimens of involved bowel and lymph nodes were processed, embedded, cut (5-6 micron thick) and stained with Haematoxylin-Eosin for light microscopy.

Results: Primary intestinal tuberculosis was rare at autopsy (only 2 / 20 cases).

Majority of cases were secondary to pulmonary involvement (17 / 20 cases).

Ulcerative type (77.5 %) was the commonest morphologic type with predominant involvement of ileum.

Appendix (5 %) and Stomach (2.5 %) were rarely involved.

At autopsy, mesenteric lymphadenopathy (80 %) was noted to be the commonest, followed by tracheo-bronchial group of lymph nodes (27.5 %).

Retroperitoneal lymph nodes were rarely involved.

Conclusion : Incidence of Gastrointestinal Tuberculosis (GITB) at autopsy was found to be 0.68 %.

Overall, secondary form of GITB was the commonest.

Associated TB in the mesenteric lymph nodes was frequent.