A case of hepatic tuberculosis with acquired immune deficiency syndrome

Hepatic tuberculosis (TB) is a rare type of extrapulmonary TB. Due to the nonspecific clinical symptoms and imaging manifestations, hepatic TB with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is easy to be misdiagnosed. We report a case of hepatic TB with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), which was initially misdiagnosed as general bacterial liver abscess even after the patient received needle biopsy. In subsequent process, pathogenic tests using washing solution of punctured liver tissue sample were proved feasible, convenient, and specific for pathogenic diagnosis in resource-limited areas of China. For liver abscess in patients with HIV, the pathogens are more complex than HIV negative patients. Some uncommon pathogens, such as TB and fungi, should also be taken into consideration. For the hepatic TB without abscess formation, pathogenic test using washing solution of punctured liver tissue sample should be attached importance.