Female genital tuberculosis: clinical features and trend

A retrospective study of genital tuberculosis in women attending the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology between January 1986 and December 1997 revealed 11 patients with a mean age of 38 years (range 23-77). Two patients had genital tuberculosis and tuberculous peritonitis. The incidence was 0.01 per cent of outpatients and 0.05 per cent of inpatients. Eight cases occurred during the last six years. Although the incidence was quite low, a rising trend was observed. Of the clinical features, infertility was the commonest initial symptom (3 cases). The most common site of infection was the endometrium (5 cases) followed by fallopian tube and ovary (3 cases). Chest X-ray of all patients showed no lung infiltration while AFB staining and PCR for tuberculosis were positive in two out of five and one out of two respectively. Six patients received medical treatment only, and three were treated with antituberculous drugs after surgery; all with good results. Tubal reconstructive surgery was performed in two patients without medical treatment. Gynecologists should be aware of this disease to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment.