Treatment Duration for Abdominal Tuberculosis

Overview

Most of the guidelines on the treatment of tuberculosis suggest that 6 months treatment is sufficient for extrapulmonary tuberculosis except for bone tuberculosis and tubercular meningitis. Despite these recommendations, most physicians treating abdominal tuberculosis use antituberculous therapy for 9 months, sometimes even 12 months without any scientific justification. In a randomized controlled trial, Balasubramaniam et al reported no difference in success rate of 6mo (99%) vs 12 months (94%) antituberculous drugs (conventional strategy) in the treatment of abdominal tuberculosis. Although Directly Observed Therapy (DOTs) have been proved to be effective in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, lymph nodal tuberculosis, however, there is a lack of data on efficacy of DOTS in other extra-pulmonary disease including abdominal tuberculosis. Therefore, there is an urgent need to establish the efficacy of DOTs strategy of antituberculous therapy in the treatment of abdominal tuberculosis. Therefore, the investigators planned to conduct a multicenter randomized controlled trial to determine the difference in the recurrence of disease after only observation for three months and three months extension of DOTs in a subset of patients with definite clinical response after 6 months of DOTs.

Rationale Most of the guidelines on the treatment of tuberculosis suggest that 6 months treatment is sufficient for extrapulmonary tuberculosis except for bone tuberculosis and tubercular meningitis. Despite these recommendations, most physicians treating abdominal tuberculosis use antituberculous therapy for 9 months, sometimes even 12 months without any scientific justification. In a randomized controlled trial, Balasubramaniam et al reported no difference in success rate of 6mo (99%) vs 12 months (94%) antituberculous drugs (conventional strategy) in the treatment of abdominal tuberculosis. Although DOTS have been proved to be effective in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, lymph nodal tuberculosis, however, there is a lack of data on efficacy of DOTS in other extra-pulmonary disease including abdominal tuberculosis. The aim of the present study is not to assess the efficacy of DOTs but whether the Cat I regimen for 6 months is effective in the treatment of abdominal tuberculosis. We, therefore planned to conduct a multicenter randomized controlled trial to determine the difference in the efficacy and recurrence rate in 6months and 9 months of intermittent short course category I regimen under RNTCP. Hypothesis There may not be a significant difference in the efficacy and recurrence rate of abdominal tuberculosis in those treated for six months vs those treated for 9 months with intermittent short course category I regimen under RNTCP. Objectives Primary objectives: 1. To determine the efficacy of intermittent short course chemotherapy for 6 months under Directly Observed Therapy (Category I under RNTCP) in treatment of abdominal tuberculosis (proportion of patients responding to treatment) 2. To determine difference in the recurrence of disease between the two randomized groups after only observation for three months and extension of RNTCP Cat I for three months in a subset of patients with definite clinical response after 6 months of DOTs Secondary objective 1\. To study the effect of anti-tubercular drugs on the natural history of intestinal stricture due to tuberculosis Outcomes Outcome measures: Primary: 1. Response to treatment (6 months and nine months of RNTCP Cat I treatment) as defined earlier 2. Recurrence of symptoms of abdominal tuberculosis (intestinal and peritoneal) after 1 year of follow up in those who receive 6 months or 9 months of Cat I treatment.