Intestinal tuberculosis or colonic tuberculosis is an infection of the colon caused by the same bacteria that spreads the most common form of the disease, known simply as tuberculosis. This bacteria in the air, Mycobacterium tuberculosis , typically infects the lungs, but can affect any organ, including the lymph nodes and the brain. Symptoms of intestinal tuberculosis, if any, are often vague and include fatigue, weight loss, and diarrhea, as well as intermittent fevers and sweats, gastrointestinal bleeding, and pain and discomfort. The condition can also mimic other intestinal diseases, such as Crohn's disease.
This form of tuberculosis is much more common in developing countries and on the continents of Africa and Asia. Some patients may not experience any symptoms other than abdominal swelling. The swelling is usually thought to be cancer or a symptom of Crohn's disease. Intestinal tuberculosis often goes undiagnosed until many other similar conditions are ruled out.
There are several ways to diagnose intestinal tuberculosis. A doctor may order an X-ray or CT scan of the abdomen. A colonoscopy may be performed to confirm a diagnosis. A serologic test can also be helpful in diagnosing viral and infectious diseases.
Intestinal tuberculosis is commonly treated like the pulmonary form of the disease. A patient will take a regimen of at least two different oral antibacterial drugs for at least six months. Two different drugs are given to reduce the chance that the bacteria will be resistant to treatment.
This disease is caused by bacteria that grow very slowly in the human body. As a result, a long course of antibiotics is necessary to completely eliminate the infection. Patients should complete the full course of their medications, even if they begin to feel better.
Patients suffering from unexplained chronic abdominal or gastrointestinal symptoms are candidates for intestinal tuberculosis. This is particularly true if the patient lives in an area where the incidence is already high. In some cases, there will be lesions present in the colon that are the source of the patient's pain.
The spread of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in developing countries has been linked to the increased incidence of intestinal tuberculosis. Most patients will have symptoms of intestinal tuberculosis for several years. The disease will manifest as an acute attack of symptoms that goes away only to return when the patient's immune system is weak.
The bacteria that cause tuberculosis are spread through the air when a person breathes in air contaminated by the cough of an infected person. In developed countries, the disease tends to be more common in the elderly, but in developing countries more young people are affected. Tuberculosis may remain dormant and never progress to the stage of active infection in some people.