Tuberculosis of the intestine: symptoms and treatment

Along with cancer diseases, the worldwide spread of such a disease as tuberculosis is widespread. It is caused by a stick of Koch, falling from a sick person to a healthy one, by air-drop transfer. Tuberculosis of the intestine, the symptoms of which we consider in our article, most often acts as a secondary disease in patients with focal lesions in the lungs or other organs.

Tuberculosis of the intestine: definition

The named pathology is a chronic illness of an infectious nature of the spread, developing in the body by transfer of mycobacteria from the lungs to the digestive organs or by direct entry through saliva and infected foods. Tuberculosis is characterized by the appearance of neoplasms in the large or small intestine, with their transition to ulcerative nodules, the formation of large cavities, and soreness with superficial palpation.

Such a disease is quite a rare phenomenon. It manifests itself in about 40 people per 100 thousand of the total population. Tuberculosis is most often detected after death. During the life of the patient is qualified as a nonspecific ulcerative colitis.

What are the causes of tuberculosis of the intestine?

Tuberculosis of the intestine is closely related to the presence of certain causes:

1. Infection of the digestive system with mycobacteria rod of Koch.
2. Reduction of the body's immune forces.

In addition, intestinal tuberculosis can develop as a reaction to the following pathological processes:

1. The presence of abscesses, closely related to the state of the intestinal mucosa and its immunity.
2. Abuse of tobacco products and alcohol.
3. Disease of HIV infection.
4. Presence of diabetes mellitus.
5. Permanent presence in a stressful situation.
6. Work in places hazardous to health.

It is necessary to take into account one more nuance of this disease. If you want to know whether intestinal tuberculosis is contagious or not, the answer will be unambiguous: yes.

What are the symptoms of the disease?

In order to find out what symptoms the intestinal tuberculosis has, the first signs how this disease is transmitted, many turn to questionable sites and, quite logically, receive there unconfirmed information. Meanwhile, in spite of the general asymptomatic nature of the disease, doctors still distinguish the following manifestations of this pathology:

1. Pain. Especially often they occur with palpation or suddenly. Sometimes they have a permanent character, with intermediate cuts throughout the area of the gastrointestinal tract.
2. Diarrhea, constipation. The chair is fickle, then fluid and frequent, then characterized by the inability to recover.
3. A gag reflex, nausea. May occur within 24 hours and accompany the patient from 1 to 3 days.
4. When palpating the abdominal cavity, seals are often felt. Along with the detection of nodules, the patient feels painful.
5. Flatulence.
6. Soreness of the caecum.
7. Appearance in the feces of blood. It can be released in large and small quantities. Has a brown tinge.

In general, such signs may appear as a year after the onset of the disease with tuberculosis, and after 15 years. Everything depends on the correct way of life, the general health of the patient and the absence of tumors.

Intestinal tuberculosis: how it develops

The intestine is affected by Koch's wand, most often with the presence of already existing tuberculosis. It does not matter which organ it manifested initially: in the lungs, lymph nodes, spine or in the organs of urination. The Koch's stick enters the intestine through the flow of blood or lymph, or through the use of untreated dairy products from cows infected with tuberculosis.

Habitat tuberculosis chooses one of two types of gut:

1. Iliac, located in the lower part of the small intestine. In it, the disease develops in the form of ulceration, as well as proliferation of granules in hypertrophic form and narrowing of the intestinal lumen.
2. Blind, located just below the place where the small intestine turns into fat. The initial stage of intestinal tuberculosis is a lesion of the lymph system of the intestinal walls with the appearance of ulcers located along the entire diameter. Next, inflammation occurs on the lymph nodes and the formation of tubercle pellets in the area of the outer shell of the ulcer. All this leads to the development of peritonitis and the formation of compounds.

In addition to the above signs, which characterize the tuberculosis of the intestine, the symptoms may be:

• General weakening of the body;
• A sharp increase in temperature;
• weight loss;
• loss of appetite.

Often the patient is suffering diarrhea with bleeding, which does not stop with the use of anti-inflammatory and anti-diarrhea drugs. With the course of the disease, the symptoms of intestinal tuberculosis in adults are transformed into phase exacerbation and remission.

Quite often, patients experience pain in the navel. When you change the position of the body or gain physical exertion, the pain increases.

If intestinal tuberculosis, the symptoms of which we are considering in the article, can not be treated in a timely manner, a breakthrough of the ulcer from the intestine into the abdominal cavity with the appearance of peritonitis in one or several places can occur.

How is pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosed?

Since intestinal tuberculosis quite often disappears under other types of diseases, the analysis of blood, urine and feces, as well as the study of the gastric cavity, are not effective enough. They are able to give only a general picture of the disease, but not its stage and an effective method of treatment.

What else is needed to confirm the diagnosis of "intestinal tuberculosis"? Symptoms, first signs and clinical analyzes are not sufficient for this, and experts suggest the following examinations:

1. Carrying out radiography. It allows you to detect changes in the intestinal wall, as well as the complete absence of its work for a certain amount of time. In addition, the intestinal radiography with contrasting allows to obtain data on the location and type of infection of the intestine. So, when an ulcer develops small cavities, and with the death of cells of the intestine a hilly infiltrate is formed. In any of these cases, uneven edges, deformation, and compaction and complete smoothness of the intestine are formed at the lesion site. In order to make a definitive diagnosis, doctors conduct additional tests such as CT, ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity.
2. The study of the walls of the stomach by the method of endoscopy. If the probe is swallowed, patients are examined the walls of the intestine in order to identify ulcerous formations. In addition, a special probe uses biopsy tissue sampling, followed by a study in the field of histology and microbiology.

Thus, a serious approach to the doctor is required if suspicions of intestinal tuberculosis are found. Symptoms Diagnosis, carried out with the help of X-ray and endoscope, allows you to identify the patient at a fairly early stage of development.

What are the types of intestinal tuberculosis?

There are several types of this disease. Each of them depends on the area of localization of painful sensations and manifestations of ulcers:

1. Ulcerative. It is characterized by a large number of formations in the intestinal region.
2. Ulcerative hypertrophy. It is the presence of ulcers with the gradual death of the tissues of the stomach and intestines.
3. Hypertrophic. Complete withering of abdominal tissues.
4. Stenosing. The main area of localization is on the walls of the lymph vessels.

In addition to this, two more forms of tuberculosis are distinguished:

1. Adhesive.
2. Exudative.

Despite the difference in manifestations and localization, treatment is always the same in all cases.

Possible complications of intestinal tuberculosis

If the intestinal tuberculosis is not detected in time (the symptoms, the treatment of which we are considering), then the patient can have the following types of complications:

1. Obstruction in the intestinal parts. The intestinal blockage is formed by waste products of vital activity with the subsequent breakthrough into the abdominal cavity.
2. Narrowing of the lumen of the intestine with violation of the passage. Characterized by poor permeability of waste.
3. Isolation of blood in the gut. It can be present during defecation.
4. Breakthrough ulcerative formations. Accompanied by blunt or sharp pain.
5. Peritonitis.
6. Disturbance of work in the intestinal-digestive tract.

Treatment of tuberculosis medically

If a patient with intestinal tuberculosis has symptoms of the pathology early enough, then he is prescribed medications together with chemotherapy procedures. In the case of late detection or presence of adhesive formations in the thin, straight or large intestine - surgery. All medical treatment is carried out strictly in the dispensary conditions of a specialized type.

The doctor prescribes the following medications:

• "Streptomycin".
• "Ftivazide."
• "Tubazid."
• "Para-Aminosalicylic acid".
• "Isoniazid."
• Rifampicin.
• PASK.
• "Tibon".

In the absence of the desired result, doctors supplement the treatment with the following drugs:

• "Cycloserine."
• "Etambutol".
• "Ethionamide".

As practice shows, such treatment is quite effective and effective.

Effectiveness of diets in the treatment of intestinal tuberculosis

Since antibiotics are used as effective drugs against tuberculosis, it is extremely important to adhere to a diet that helps reduce side effects from their use. It is necessary to take easily digestible and high-calorie food. Proper nutrition should include:

1. Postal soups.
2. Cutlets from poultry meat, veal.
3. Fish dishes.
4. Cottage cheese.
5. Eggs and dishes from them.
6. Butter.
7. Dairy and sour-milk products.
8. A variety of porridges.
9. Fresh juices.

In this case, it is strictly forbidden to use the following products:

1. Meat of pigs, geese and rams.
2. Smoked dishes.
3. Various beans.
4. Canned food.

In case of problems with a chair in the form of diarrhea from the diet are also excluded:

1. Bakery products.
2. Non-heat-treated vegetables and fruits.
3. A large number of meat products.

It is strictly forbidden to treat intestinal tuberculosis independently! Symptoms, treatment, photos of this pathology you can find in our article, but if you find similar signs of the disease, you should immediately contact a specialist.

Preventive actions

To prevent the development of the disease, patients are recommended to undergo mandatory vaccination and fluorography. BCG vaccination is carried out not only by those who have been in contact with patients for a long time, but also for those who have not reached the age of 20.

An additional measure of safety is the taking of Isoniazid, as well as the boiling of dairy products, the ventilation of premises and the organization of wet cleaning.

Conclusion

To fully avoid tuberculosis infection, one should carefully treat one's health and also visit a doctor in case of manifestations of pain of any degree in the area of the abdominal cavity. It is very important to pay attention to the symptoms accompanying intestinal tuberculosis as early as possible. The prognosis of the disease in this case is the most favorable.