Uterine Cervical Tuberculosis Mimicking Malignancy: Case Series from Ethiopia

Uterine cervical tuberculosis is a rare manifestation of female genital tuberculosis, accounting for 2.4% of female genital tract tuberculosis cases. Although genitourinary tuberculosis is a common form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis, it most frequently affects the kidneys, bladder, ureters, and fallopian tubes, with cervical involvement being uncommon and often underdiagnosed because of its nonspecific presentation. Three women aged 29, 33, and 40 years from Ethiopia with histologically confirmed cervical tuberculosis who presented with odorless whitish vaginal discharge, pelvic pain, and abnormal uterine bleeding are reported in the present study. All were initially clinically suspected of having cervical cancer because of abnormal cervical findings and abnormal discharge. However, histopathological examination confirmed isolated cervical tuberculosis without systemic involvement. All patients achieved complete clinical resolution after a 6-month course of first-line anti-tuberculosis therapy. These cases highlight the importance of considering cervical tuberculosis in the differential diagnosis of cervical lesions in tuberculosis-endemic settings.