Surgical Management of Genitourinary Tuberculosis: our Experience and review of literature

Abstract

Background: Genitourinary tuberculosis is one of the commonest forms of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. Owing to a myriad of clinical presentations and discrepancies in the diagnostic modalities, patients usually present late, resulting in a large number of them requiring some surgical intervention. The present study aims to retrospectively analyze the role of surgery in genitourinary tuberculosis. Patients and method: All patients diagnosed with genitourinary tuberculosis at our centre, between October 2017 to September 2019 were included in the study. Mode of presentation, duration of symptoms, investigations done, treatment received, and follow up were studied. Results: Out of 25 patients diagnosed to have GUTB, there were 15(60%) male and 10(40%) female. The mean age of presentation was 40.84 years. Nineteen (76%) patients underwent some surgical intervention, and many patients required more than one surgical procedure. A reconstructive procedure was done in seven patients. At the median follow up of 12 months, all patients are doing well with no relapse. Conclusion: Surgery, along with antitubercular treatment, is the key to the management of a case of GUTB presenting with structural damage.However, sugery can be ablative or reconstructive depending on various factors discussed in the present study.This preserves or restore the optimal function of the genitourinary system inflicted by the mycobacterium bacilli.