Acute perforated appendicitis secondary to tuberculosis as a cause of postpartum infection

Abstract

Gastrointestinal tuberculosis is a rare extrapulmonary manifestation, it represents 3% of cases and mainly involves the ileocecal region; appendiceal involvement is rare. Tuberculous appendicitis can present as an acute condition indistinguishable from other causes of appendicitis and the diagnosis is generally made by histopathological finding, which delays treatment and can lead to complications. The postpartum period is at risk of a reactivation of tuberculosis, due to changes in the immune system that manifests as an immune reconstitution syndrome. We present the case of a postpartum patient admitted for septic shock secondary to perforated appendicitis, the pathology reported chronic granulomatous inflammation and subsequent confirmation by molecular technique of pulmonary tuberculosis.