A rare case of abdominal tuberculosis

Abdominal tuberculosis (TB) is a rare condition in developed nations and can be challenging to diagnose. This report concerns a 45-year-old patient who presented with abdominal pain and fever and would undergo a lengthy hospital admission complicated by a previously undiagnosed HIV infection. Computed tomography (CT) imaging performed the day our patient presented to the emergency room revealed rather classic findings corresponding with abdominal tuberculosis. However, diagnostic difficulty delayed the diagnosis and treatment. This case highlights radiologists’ opportunity to raise clinical suspicion early in hospital care, especially in a rare disease process that can have poor outcomes.