Urinary tuberculosis: a review of 44 cases treated since 1963

We are reporting on a decade of experinece with cases of renal tuberculosis treated at a large tuberculosis hospital. Most patients were men less than 50 years old. The most frequent symptoms were dysuria, back or flank pain, nocturia and hematuria. Physical examinations were generally normal and hypertension was not seen. Most patients had acid urinary pH, pyuria and/or hematuria. Excretory urograms were abnormal in 86 per cent of the cases, the most common finding being preserved function but calicectasis or abscess. Most patients had abnormal chest x-rays and nearly half of them had coexisting, active pulmonary or miliary tuberculosis. Tuberculin tests were positive in 85 per cent of the cases. In our experience urinary tuberculosis was almost always responsive to multi-drug chemotherapy, even in patients with a non-functioning, tuberculous kidney. An asymptomatic, non-functioning kidney need not be removed, provided documentation of urine culture conversion is obtained and a prolonged period of multi-drug chemotherapy is completed.