Genitourinary tuberculosis in Taiwan: A 15-year experience at a teaching hospital

Genitourinary tuberculosis (GUTB) is rare but fatal if not diagnosed early. The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcomes of GUTB in Taiwan.

We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 57 patients who were diagnosed as GUTB from January 2002 to December 2016, over a 15-year period. Demographic data and clinical manifestations were recorded for analysis.

There were 37 males and 20 females with a median age of 71 years. Kidney (24.6%) was the most involved organ. Fever (56.1%) was the major presentation. Sixteen (28.1%) patients presented unfavorable outcome. Compared with the favorable outcome group, the unfavorable outcome group had more malignancy (p = 0.013), fever (p = 0.020), anemia (p = 0007), thrombocytopenia (p = 0.003), and hypoalbuminemia (p = 0.015). In a multivariate analysis, fever (odds ratio: 42.716, 95% confidence interval: 1.032-1767.569; p = 0.048) was identified as prognostic factors for unfavorable outcome.

GUTB is often in advanced stages with a high mortality in Taiwan. Establishing a diagnosis is difficult and requires thorough investigation. Fever is associated with unfavorable outcome.