Isolated hepatic tuberculosis: report of five cases and review of the literature

Tuberculosis is one of the most common and well-described infectious diseases, with a worldwide distribution and a vast spectrum of clinical manifestations. Involvement of the liver alone by tuberculosis is, however, uncommon. It usually presents as a protracted illness frequently associated with jaundice and hepatomegaly. It can, therefore, mimic primary or metastatic liver malignancies. We report five cases of isolated hepatic tuberculosis, emphasizing the importance of obtaining a tissue diagnosis in all subjects with suspicious liver lesions to avoid missing the uncommon but curable hepatic tuberculosis.