Title : Surgical site TB—A hidden killer
Abstract:
With the constant modern approaches of minimizing surgical site infection, tubercular infection at the surgical site remains rare & undiagnosed for its delayed & atypical presentation in modern countries where TB is uncommon, which leads to marked deterioration in the patient’s health & lifestyle.
Here I am discussing a case of a 43-year-old female with recurrent surgical site infection following abdominal abscess incision & drainage, not improving with multiple courses of antibiotics. With suspicion of atypical infection, tissue histopathology confirmed granulomatous inflammation, and wound culture confirmed Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The patient was commenced on anti-TB therapy for 8 weeks with an extension of isoniazid & rifampicin for 12 months, which resulted in tremendous improvement.
In the case of a chronic non-healing post-surgical wound, tubercular infection may be the hidden culprit, even if the patient doesn’t have any contact history or typical signs & symptoms.
Immediate management may save the patient from long-term comorbidity. Also, proper investigation regarding the source of spreading TB may be beneficial for further control of the disease.
