Twenty-years experience on genitourinary tuberculosis

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Infectious Diseases
• Surgical Pathology

Background:

• Genitourinary tuberculosis (GU TB) is a significant global health concern.
• The disease often progresses insidiously, leading to delayed diagnosis and irreversible organ damage.
• Surgical intervention has historically played a role in managing GU TB.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate changes in the incidence and surgical management of genitourinary tuberculosis over a 20-year period.
• To compare surgical practices for GU TB between two distinct decades (1980-1989 and 1990-1999).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 102 patients who underwent surgery for GU TB between 1980 and 1999.
• Data analysis comparing patient cohorts from 1980-1989 and 1990-1999.
• Recording of surgical procedures performed for GU TB.

Main Results:

• The overall incidence of surgical management for GU TB was 0.50% (102/20,299 procedures).
• Incidence decreased from 0.67% (70/10,428) in 1980-1989 to 0.32% (32/9,871) in 1990-1999.
• Nephrectomy was the most common surgical procedure in both decades.

Conclusions:

• Surgery remains an important treatment modality for genitourinary tuberculosis, despite advances in antimycobacterial drugs.
• The slow progression and subtle symptoms of GU TB frequently lead to diagnosis at a stage where irreversible organ damage has occurred.
• Continued vigilance and appropriate surgical management are essential for patients with GU TB.