DOI: 10.36347/sjmcr.2014.v02i10.014

Pages: 687-689

Hepatic tuberculosis is one of the rarest forms of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. The focal or nodular form presenting as tuberculoma or abscess is uncommon.The diagnosis is most often delayed or missed because of nonspecific symptomatology and rare occurrence. A-70-year-old male alcoholic who was admitted in emergency ward with history of fever since two months, pain right upper abdomen and lower chest and loss of appetite since one month is evaluated and was diagnosed as having Tuberculous liver abscess. Ultrasonography (USG) showed an abscess with thick walls in right lobe of liver and USG guided needle aspirate was found to be positive for Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) on Ziehl-Nelsen staining and Mycobacterium Tuberculosis DNA PCR. The present case highlights that tuberculous nature of liver abscess though rare, should be ruled out in cases of suspected pyogenic/amoebic liver abscess so as to avoid delay in treatment as the prognosis of tubercular liver abscess is good.