Clinical Diagnostic Dilemmas In Childhood Abdominal Tuberculosis: A Report Of Two Cases

We report the cases of two children who presented with weight loss, pain and abdominal swelling of at least 3 weeks duration. The children presented separately at the children's emergency unit of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital and the University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti. Both children presented with fever and had no history of ingestion of unpasteurized milk or contact with any one with features suggestive of tuberculosis. Examination revealed chronically ill-looking children, with abdominal masses and significant generalized lymph node enlargement. A diagnosis of typhoid perforation was made in one child and abdominal malignancy in the other and both were planned for surgery. Both patients were however successfully managed on oral anti-tuberculous drugs after further review by specialist paediatricans. The cases are reported with a view to providing information that can improve the diagnostic acumen of practicing physicians confronted with similar conditions in resource-constrained settings.