[Abdominal tuberculosis--still a diagnostic challenge. Two case reports and a literature review].

Abdominal tuberculosis (TB) is unusual in Sweden today. This paper presents two patients born 1981 and 1975, one with perforated duodenal ulcer due to Helicobacter pylori and/or Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Acute operation with suture was done, signs of granulomatous inflammation revealed culture positive for TB. The other was operated with appendectomy; the pathology was TB in the mesenteries and outside the caecum. Antituberculosis chemotherapy was given in both cases and neither patient suffered any major problems. These two cases show how important it is for surgeons to be aware of TB nowadays, particularly in patients born outside Sweden or those undergoing immune therapy.