Can TB affect the gastrointestinal tract?
Dr Irwin Ziment
Professor of Medicine,
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA
Professor of Medicine,
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA
Q: Which part of the gastro-intestinal tract gets affected by tuberculosis? What are the complications after the treatment?
A:Tuberculosis can affect any part of the intestinal tract from the lips to the anus, including the liver. The most common site is the ileum and it can produce small intestine obstruction. However there is usually a very good response to appropriate drug therapy and the outcome may be good enough to allow function to continue in the bowel without any need for surgical intervention.