Unexpected isolated hepatic tuberculosis discovered during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A case report

Abstract

Isolated hepatic tuberculosis is a rare form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. We report an exceptional case of a 51-year-old female patient complaining from right upper abdominal quadrant pain, who underwent laparoscopic surgery for millimetric gallbladder polyps. Preoperative ultrasound hepatic morphology and biochemical hepatic tests revealed no abnormalities. There were no clinical patterns for an active tuberculosis. During surgery time, scattered sub-centimeter whitish nodular lesions were discovered on the upper surface of the liver. Although gallbladder pathological examination did not reveal any significant abnormalities, per surgery hepatic biopsy indicated the presence of a giant cell granuloma with caseous necrosis highly suggestive of hepatic tuberculosis. Treatment by anti-bacillary drugs according to local standard protocol was conducted with favorable outcomes. Therefore, diagnosis of hepatic tuberculosis may be considered in endemic countries in totally asymptomatic patients or complaining from unexplained and isolated abdominal pain, in absence of any morphologic or biochemical hepatic abnormalities.