Sweet syndrome to peritoneal tuberculosis: Case report

Abstract

Peritoneal tuberculosis is a rare disease that accounts for 25-50% of abdominal tuberculosis cases and 0.1-0.7% of all cases of tuberculosis. Mortality is 35% when treatment is delayed, and 73% in patients with cirrhosis. It also has a wide clinical spectrum, so its differential diagnosis covers conditions such as cirrhosis, malignancy, nephrotic syndrome, and malnutrition. Moreover, imaging studies may reveal peritoneal metastases; carcinomatosis of gastric, pancreatic, bladder, ovarian, colonic origin; and infectious diseases such as actinomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis or non-tuberculous mycobacteria. Diagnosis is initially supported by blood chemistry, liver and renal function tests, ultrasound, CT scans, paracentesis with peritoneal fluid cytochemistry, and ADA and PCR measurement. The gold standard is laparoscopy with peritoneal biopsy and pathological or microbiological confirmation. Cases of false negatives of the ADA test have been described in immunosuppression or use of antituberculosis drugs. Monitoring of disease activity by measuring CA-125 levels has been considered. The following is the report of an unusual case of peritoneal TB with secondary Sweet’s syndrome, in which the ADA report was initially negative, possibly due to meropenem administration, and in whom disease activity was monitored through Ca125. False negative reports of ADA and Sweet’s secondary to TB are very rare, so this case contributes to the literature on these conditions.