Ileocecal tuberculosis with target cell anemia

Conclusion

A case of ileocecal tuberculosis with the presenting feature a “target cell” anemia in a young colored female is recorded. Certain observations as to the etiology are noted and since the process was reversed by bowel resection, it is assumed that the intestinal tuberculosis was responsible for the so-called target cell anemia. The lesion was of the ulcero-hyperplastic variety and in the face of the negative chest x-ray would lead one to conclude that it is a case of primary intestinal tuberculosis, yet it is possible that the pulmonary lesion is so minute it was missed on a routine chest plate and that the different lesions are variants of one fundamental process, i.e. ulcerative, ulcero-hyperplastic and hyperplastic intestinal tuberculosis.