New features in the pathogenesis of renal tuberculosis and their significance for its detection

The study of 1,464 cases of renal tuberculosis in 1946-1971 shows that the incidence of this illness has not diminished. The percentage of aged patients and of women has increased. The frequency of previous tuberculosis has decreased and the interval between tuberculosis and renal tuberculosis has increased. These new features show that the role of general pathogenic factors regresses whereas that of local factors progresses. Among the latter, the main factor is a disturbance of the urine outflow from the kidneys. This factor is of particular importance in women who had pathologic pregnancies and deliveries, gynecological diseases and surgery. While the connection of renal tuberculosis with tuberculous diseases diminishes its connection with urogenital conditions is rising. Accordingly, it is necessary to suspect and search for renal tuberculosis in new groups of persons: in older persons, in patients without a history of previous tuberculosis, in patients cured from tuberculosis, in women after obstetrical and gynecological complications, in patients with renal diseases, malformations, etc. Our preventive examinations indicated that nephrotuberculosis can be actively and earlier detected not only in patients with extrarenal tuberculosis but in persons cured from it, and in patients with local urogenital lesions.