Incidence and epidemiological features of urogenital tuberculosis among adult inhabitants in Qatar

Abstract

Urogenital tuberculosis (UGTB) has not been extensively studied in the Gulf region, particularly in Qatar. This study aimed to describe the incidence, demography, presentation, diagnosis, and treatment outcomes of UGTB among adult patients in Qatar. This retrospective descriptive study was conducted from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2020, in six centers of Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar. All patients with UGTB admitted or treated at these centers were included in the study. During the study period, we recruited 106 patients with isolated or combined UGTB, representing 0.4 percent of all TB cases and an incidence of 0.7 new UGTB cases per 100,000 population in Qatar between 2015 and 2020. Most patients were males [79 (74.5%)] and non-Qataris [102 (96.2%)]. The mean age of the patients was 40.60 ± 11.39 years. The mean illness duration was 86.98±129.84 days, and the most frequent presenting symptom was abdominal pain [51(48.1%)]. UGTB was diagnosed by direct bacilli identification or culture growth in 34 (32.1%) patients; histopathology in 55 (51.9 %) patients; and a combination of strong clinical, laboratory, and radiographic evidence of UGTB without microbiological or histological confirmation in 17 (16.0%) patients. All patients received anti-tuberculosis therapy with various durations, while surgical interventions were reported in 73(68.9%) cases. Most patients, 85 (80.2%), completed their treatment in Qatar, while 21 (19.8%) left the country before completion, and no mortalities had been reported. The diagnosis of UGTB is generally delayed due to vague clinical features. Awareness of UGTB is essential for physicians to suspect this disease in patients with unexplained urogenital symptoms, especially in patients from TB-endemic areas or with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis.