©The Author(s) 2017. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Surg. Aug 27, 2017; 9(8): 174-181
Published online Aug 27, 2017. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v9.i8.174
Published online Aug 27, 2017. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v9.i8.174
Abdominal tuberculosis: Is there a role for surgery?
Elroy Patrick Weledji, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, PO Box 63, Buea, Cameroon
Benjamin Thumamo Pokam, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, PO Box 63, Buea, Cameroon
Author contributions: Weledji EP was the main author who contributed to conception, design and drafting of the article; Pokam BT contributed to literature search.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interests.
Correspondence to: Elroy Patrick Weledji, BSc (Lond), MSc (Lond), MBBChBAO (Ireland), FRCS (Edinburgh), Department of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, PO Box 63, Buea, Cameroon. nfo@ubuea.cm
Telephone: +237-69-9922144
Received: December 21, 2016
Peer-review started: December 25, 2016
First decision: January 16, 2017
Revised: May 22, 2017
Accepted: June 30, 2017
Article in press: July 3, 2017
Published online: August 27, 2017
Processing time: 247 Days and 1.8 Hours
Peer-review started: December 25, 2016
First decision: January 16, 2017
Revised: May 22, 2017
Accepted: June 30, 2017
Article in press: July 3, 2017
Published online: August 27, 2017
Processing time: 247 Days and 1.8 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: It is important to bear in mind the non-specific manifestations of abdominal tuberculosis. There is no gold standard for the diagnosis and high clinical suspicion is required. Diagnostic laparoscopy is increasingly useful but joint decision making with physician familiar with anti-tuberculous therapy is important. Surgery is reserved for abdominal complications.