Review for 10.1186/1471-230X-5-21 (2005)

Reviewer's report 
 Gastroenterologic Profile Of Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis With Different Faces Title: 
 1  21 April 2005 Version: Date: 
 Gary Maartens Reviewer: 
Reviewer's report: 
General 
Title should contain the phrase abdominal tuberculosis – eg “Clinical presentation of abdominal 
tuberculosis in HIV seronegative adults” 
Methods 
The term “extra-pulmonary TB cases with related gastrointestinal involvement” is frequently used, 
but is inaccurate – some cases had peritoneal TB, so the term abdominal TB should be used 
throughout. Also extrapulmonary TB is too vague – all in the cohort had abdominal TB, which is a subset of extrapulmonary TB. 
The 5 groups seem a bit arbitrary (by the way the numbers in each group belong in the results, not 
the methods). What about patients with non-surgical abdominal pain (the term non-surgical is best avoided – non-specific abdominal pain would be better) & less prominent alteration in bowel habit? 
Group 3 should rather be called “alteration in bowel habit” than IBD 
Tuberculin skin test (presumably Mantoux – this should be specified) is more accurate than the term 
PPD 
What method was used for PCR? 
I am not familiar with the terms “club sandwich or sliced bread signs” under abdominal US – these 
should be referenced with a brief explanatory note 
The investigations on respiratory tract were presumably done on patients with chest radiographs 
suggesting pulmonary TB – this should be specified. Definitive diagnosis “show AFB microbiologically” – specify whether this is culture or on microscopy 
– for definitive diagnosis should be culture as AFB on microscopy could be non-tuberculous 
mycobacteria. Was PCR regarded as definitive (should not be in my view, unless it is a test 
validated for smear negative TB)? 
Results 
Would be useful to know how many patients had normal ESR or CRP 
Tables 
Table 1. 
The duration of symptoms should be given as median plus interquartile range (or mean + sd if distribution is parametric). Personal history for TB presumably means previous history of TB. Table 2. 
The figures in brackets for ESR, CRP, WBC, Hct & Hb are presumably ranges – should be median 
plus interquartile range (or mean + sd if distribution is parametric) Under chest x-ray “sequela lesion” presumably refers to lesion consistent with prior TB “Abdominal US” should read “Abdominal US abnormality” 
Table 3 
As for other tables, data for age, disease duration, temperature (preferred to the term fever) & 
response to therapy should be median plus interquartile range (or mean + sd if distribution is 
parametric) 
Exitus presumably means death, which is the term that should be used 
What does P refer to in the last column? 
Table 4 
As for other tables, data for WBC, ESR, PPD should be median plus interquartile range (or mean + 
sd if distribution is parametric) 
What does P refer to in the last column? 
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