[Tuberculosis of the urinary bladder: a literature review. Part 1]

Tuberculosis remains a significant public health issue worldwide. In 2022, over 45 000 new tuberculosis cases were registered in Russia, corresponding to an incidence rate of 31.0 per 100 000 population. Among genitourinary tuberculosis, bladder involvement accounts for 10.6-52.3%. The clinical presentation of tuberculous cystitis mimics that of typical cystitis. Lack of specific symptoms, combined with insufficient clinical suspicion among phthisiatrists, often leads to delayed diagnosis and treatment, so that irreversible morphological changes have occurred in the bladder wall. This process manifests as persistent impairments of both the storage and voiding phases and significantly diminishes quality of life. The so-called small contracted bladder represents the end-stage of bladder involvement and is universally considered an indication for surgical intervention. A literature search was carried out in Elibrary.ru, PubMed, and Google Scholar to compile data on tuberculous bladder involvement leading to the development of a small, contracted bladder. This review covers the etiology, pathogenesis, and classification of bladder tuberculosis, and summarizes current diagnostic approaches.