[Masks of urogenital tuberculosis as the cause of diagnostic errors].

Urogenital tuberculosis does not have pathognomonic symptoms, so diagnostic errors are quite common. This systematic review of literature was conducted to identify the causes and estimate the incidence of erroneous diagnoses. We critically evaluated some articles in which the authors describe observations of urogenital tuberculosis as rare and unusual because they never encountered this disease, but in fact that were typical manifestations of genitourinary tuberculosis. The authors analyzed and illustrated the features of urinary tuberculosis in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, differential diagnosis of urogenital tuberculosis and kidney cancer and male genitourinary organs, described errors in the diagnosis of urethral, testicular, penile, prostatic and epididymal tuberculosis. Urolithiasis was described as a mask and concomitant disease of urogenital tuberculosis. Really rare forms of bladder tuberculosis as the cause of diagnostic errors are described. Examples of fatal outcomes of urogenital tuberculosis are given. The authors analyzed cases of granulomatous interstitial nephritis due to tuberculosis infection and tuberculosis of the renal artery as the cause of renovascular hypertension. The most common causes of late diagnosis of urogenital tuberculosis are the absence of a typical pattern and the tendency to manifest under the guise of other diseases.

[Chronic course of latent urogenital tuberculosis].

This is a case report of an elderly patient with urogenital tuberculosis and concurrent tuberculosis of peripheral inguinal lymph nodes. The disease manifested by a fistulous form of inguinal lymphadenitis for 10 years and spread to the kidneys and genitals, but the patient did not seek medical attention. Changes on the glans penis prompted him to consult dermatovenereologist. Due to ineffective treatment and uncovering the scar in the inguinal area the patient was send to an anti-tuberculosis institution, where he was diagnosed with tuberculosis involving the kidneys, prostate, epididymis, penis, inguinal lymph nodes. The patient had a history of a contact with the patient with respiratory tuberculosis. Treatment with antituberculosis drugs produced a positive effect.

[Anthropomorphic features of patients with tuberculosis of the prostate].

INTRODUCTION: Modern TB patient has lost the physical appearance (habitus phtisicus) typical for the previous years. Moreover, patients with different tuberculosis localizations also have different anthropomorphic characteristics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: To determine anthropomorphic characteristics of patients with tuberculosis of the prostate, several parameters were compared between 95 male patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and 49 patients with prostatic tuberculosis. RESULTS: Compared to pulmonary tuberculosis patients, patients with prostatic tuberculosis were significantly more likely to be overweight and have greater waist circumference. Among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, there were significantly more people of short or very tall stature, while patients with prostatic tuberculosis, on the contrary, were significantly more likely to be of average height (166-180 cm). CONCLUSIONS: The findings regarding body structure of a patient with tuberculosis of the prostate (fat stocky man) could possibly reflect the presence of the metabolic syndrome that may account for the greater susceptibility to urogenital infections.

[Tuberculosis of the prostate].

Genitourinary tract is the second most common site where extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) occurs. Genitourinary TB is notable for a latent clinical course and difficult diagnosis. The paper presents clinical observations of two patients treated in a urology department of a general public hospital. One of them was diagnosed with tuberculosis of the prostate, MTB+. In the other, TB of the prostate was suspected based on pathologic assessment of the surgical specimen after surgery for prostate cancer.

[REPRODUCTIVE DYSFUNCTION AS A RESULT OF INFECTIOUS AND INFLAMMATORY DISEASES].

Tuberculosis remains an important medical and socio-demographic problem. Chronic inflammation of the prostate gland--of both non- specific and tuberculous etiology--reduces the quality of the ejaculate; this in the initial low level of fertility in a population can have dramatic effects. Infertility can be the first symptom prompting the patient to visit a doctor; and patient is diagnosed with tuberculosis after survey. However, the influence of tuberculosis of the prostate on the functional parameters of ejaculate has not been studied. The positive influence of selenium and zinc preparations on the quality of the ejaculate in patients with chronic nonspecific prostatitis, idiopathic infertility was demonstrated, but the effectiveness of their complex use in tuberculosis of the prostate gland has not been studied.

[Actual issues of pathogenesis of tuberculosis of male genital organs].

Based on a survey of 467 men with genital tuberculosis, following conclusions were made. The presence of morphological signs of nonspecific prostatitis of toxic-allergic genesis in patients with newly diagnosed tuberculosis of the urinary and genital organs proves the possibility of primary infection of the epididymis with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Primarily isolated epididymal tuberculosis was diagnosed in 21 (4,5%) patients. Tuberculous of testicles is in direct relationship to the duration of the existence of tuberculous infection in the epididymis. Bilateral tuberculous of the epididymis is always combined with tuberculosis of the prostate. Opportunity of both primary and secondary infection of the prostate gland with Mycobacterium tuberculosis can be considered as proved. 15 (3,2%) patients had initially isolated prostatic tuberculosis. Based on clinical observations, exogenous way of introduction of infection in tuberculosis of genital organs in men was not confirmed. The lymphogenous and hematogenous pathways are leading and most common pathways of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the male genitals. In patients with tuberculosis of the prostate, which is combined with a lesion of urinary organs, without involvement of scrotum in the pathological process, infection of prostate occurs by urinogenous way. Tuberculosis of the seminal vesicles is always secondary; none of the patients were initially diagnosed with isolated process. Based on the clinical manifestations of the disease and a detailed examination of the patient, it is virtually impossible to establish a particular way of infection in the male genitals. The main value of the information about the possible ways of tuberculosis infection consists of fully examination of reproductive system with histological and bacteriological verification of the diagnosis of each genital organs in each man with suspected tuberculosis.

Can tissue PCR augment the diagnostic accuracy in genitourinary tract tuberculosis?

PURPOSE: Conventional methods like smear and culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis are of limited sensitivity and specificity. Histopathological examination (HPE) for the tissues obtained gives inconclusive diagnosis in the absence of caseous necrosis or stained acid-fast bacilli. This study was conducted to determine the utility of tissue PCR for diagnosing tuberculosis of the genitourinary tract (GUTB) and its comparative evaluation with HPE. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective study was conducted from January 2006 to August 2009 with 78 tissue specimens (renal, prostate, epididymis, penile and soft tissue) from patients with clinically suspected GUTB. All the samples were processed for both PCR and histopathology. RESULTS: In 68 (87.1%) samples, results for both PCR and HPE were coinciding. False positivity and false negativity was observed in 5.1% (4/78) and 7.6% (6/78) samples, respectively. With HPE as the gold standard, PCR has shown sensitivity of 87.5% (95% CI 80.1; 91.9) and specificity of 86.7% (95% CI 74.9; 93.8) and positive agreement between two tests was observed as significant (0.7). PCR results were obtained within a mean period of 3.4 days while those of HPE were obtained in 7.2 days. CONCLUSIONS: Tissue PCR is a sensitive and specific method for obtaining early and timely diagnosis of GUTB. Application of tissue PCR results can augment the diagnostic accuracy in histopathologically labelled granulomatous inflammations.

Primary tuberculosis of the glans penis.

Primary Tuberculosis of penis is an extremely rare entity, even in the developing countries. We report a case of a 31 years old male patient who presented to us with some ulcerated lesions on the glans penis and was diagnosed as primary tuberculosis of glans penis, confirmed by biopsy and supported by a strongly positive Mantoux test and positive TB-PCR. The patient responded to anti- tubercular therapy well. There was no co-existing tuberculous infection elsewhere.

Unusual presentations of cutaneous tuberculosis.

Cutaneous tuberculosis occurs in 1-2% of world cases of tuberculosis and more common in tropical countries. It presents with different clinical forms. Unusual clinical presentations are not uncommon and awareness of these will help in suspecting and managing these patients successfully. Lupus pernio like lupus vulgaris, tuberculosis of glans penis and lichen scrofulosorum on the distal parts of limbs are presented here because of their unusual clinical presentation.

Case Report: Epididymo-Orchitis due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Genitourinary tuberculosis (TB) is a rare but well-described form of extrapulmonary TB. We present a case of a 35-year-old man from Ethiopia with scrotal swelling and fever who was found to have epididymo-orchitis due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The patient presented to the hospital multiple times before undergoing operative debridement with fine needle aspiration and tissue biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. He improved with antituberculous therapy. Patients with TB risk factors presenting with epididymitis that is refractory to empiric antibiotic therapy warrant consideration of TB epididymitis. Our case demonstrates the high index of suspicion required to establish a diagnosis of genitourinary TB.

Tuberculous prostatitis: a condition not confined to the immunocompromised.

SUMMARY: Tuberculous (TB) prostatitis is rare; usually occurring in immunocompromised men. It can mimic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), chronic prostatitis or prostate cancer. This report in an immunocompetent 72-year-old man adds to the clinical spectrum of the five prior reported cases. A low threshold for prostatic biopsy led to a histological evaluation and subsequent microbiological confirmation of TB. This attests to the value of such an approach in arriving at the correct diagnosis and the institution of appropriate anti-tuberculous therapy even amongst immune-competent men.

Male genital tuberculosis.

A 51-year-old man presented with painless left testicular swelling for 1 month, with fevers, chills, night sweats, weight loss, and increased difficulty voiding over 6 months. He underwent radical orchiectomy; surgical pathology revealed granulomas containing acid-fast bacilli in the testis and epididymis. Male genital tuberculosis was diagnosed using nucleic acid amplification on urine and confirmed by positive urine and sputum cultures for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Genital disease is an unusual extrapulmonary manifestation of tuberculosis, often seen in middle-aged men with renal or pulmonary tuberculosis. Clinical findings are variable, but commonly include dysuria with sterile pyuria or a painless testicular mass. Initial diagnosis is often incidentally made on pathological specimens and confirmed with nucleic acid amplification and cultures. Treatment using a standard four-drug regimen is usually sufficient; surgery is rarely required. This case is used to raise awareness of, and formulate a minimally invasive diagnostic approach to, this unusual but important entity.

[Case of tuberculous epididymitis caused by intravesical BCG therapy].

Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) therapy is commonly used against superficial urothelial carcinoma, especially carcinoma in situ (CIS). We report a case of tuberculous epididymitis that occurred during a course of intravesical BCG therapy. A 76-year-old man had received intravesical BCG therapy for multiple superficial bladder cancer and CIS in prostatic urethra after transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TUR-Bt). He recognized hard nodules in the left scrotum after 4 times intravesical BCG therapy. Skin fistula in scrotum occurred 5 months later. We performed left orchiectomy with scrotum skin resection. Histological diagnosis was tuberculous epididymitis. Postoperatively, he was administered chemotherapy consisting of isoniazid, refampin and ethambutol.

Tubercular orchitis in a patient with AIDS: report of a case with fine needle aspiration diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Although tuberculosis is one of the most common opportunistic infections in AIDS, the testis is rarely involved. Clinically, tubercular orchitis mimics malignancy. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) can be used to distinguish these 2 lesions. CASE: A 34-year-old, heterosexual male presented with right scrotal swelling, loss of weight and fever. Clinically, malignancy was suspected. FNA showed a few lymphocytes and neutrophils in a necrotic background. Ziehl-Neelsen staining showed high acid-fast bacillus positivity. Serologic testing for HIV showed seropositivity for HIV I and II antibodies. CONCLUSION: FNA is a useful modality in differentiating tuberculosis from malignancy. In developing countries, tuberculosis should be considered in cases of unilateral testicular enlargement. To the best of our knowledge, this is the third reported case of AIDS presenting as testicular tuberculosis.

First reported case of fulminant TB with progression of infection from lungs to the genitourinary region.

Although tuberculosis (TB) is a curable disease, it continues to be one of the leading infections associated with death in the world. Extra-pulmonary TB (EPTB) occurs in approximately 10% of the total cases, presenting with lymph nodes, pleura, bone and genitourinary tract as the most common locations. Genitourinary tuberculosis, the second most common EPTB, is very difficult to diagnose unless there is a high index of suspicion. Isolated TB orchitis or prostatitis without clinical evidence of renal involvement is a rare entity among genitourinary tuberculosis. We presented the first reported case of TB prostatitis and orchitis associated with pulmonary TB and the presence of an acute massive caseous pneumonia in an immunocompetent man. Despite the anti-TB therapy, the patient presented a rapid progression of disease and deterioration of general conditions taking to death, which occurred four days after TB treatment had started. Disseminated TB is a relatively uncommon cause of acute massive caseous pneumonia; however, there should always be suspicion of the disease, since it is a potentially treatable cause. This rare case supports the assertion that TB should be considered as an important differential diagnosis of genitourinary tumors irrespective of evidence of active TB elsewhere in the body.

Diagnosis of isolated tuberculous orchitis by fine-needle aspiration cytology.

An isolated tuberculous Orchitis without epididymal involvement is rare. This case report describes an extra pulmonary tuberculosis with exclusively testicular presentation. The confirmatory diagnosis of which was made on FNAC of the testis. A 22-year-old adult presented with unilateral testicular enlargement and scrotal ulcer on the same side. FNAC was performed and subsequent smear examination revealed epitheloid granuloma in a necrotic background. This was suggestive of tubercular orchitis, which was further confirmed by demonstration of very occasional acid fast bacilli in the smear. Isolated tuberculous orchitis is a rare entity; FNAC is a useful first choice of investigation. It provides a successful diagnosis thereby preventing unnecessary orchidectomy.

Fine needle aspiration cytology of tubercular epididymitis and epididymo-orchitis.

OBJECTIVE: To study the role of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and ancillary studies in the diagnosis of tubercular epididymitis or epididymo-orchitis. STUDY DESIGN: Forty patients with tubercular epididymitis or epididymoorchitis diagnosed on FNAC underwent a detailed clinical workup, imaging and microbiologic studies before being started on antitubercular treatment (ATT). One patient underwent orchiectomy. RESULTS: Clinically, the disease presented in patients of all ages usually as a scrotal swelling or rarely as a scrotal sinus (3) or abscess (3) or as part of disseminated tuberculosis (2). Three patients gave a history of previous tuberculosis. Scrotal sonography confirmed the involvement of the epididymis, testis or spermatic cord in each case. FNAC was diagnostic in 27 aspirates (epithelioid cell granulomas with caseation) but nondiagnostic in the rest. Tubercular etiology was confirmed directly by detection of acid-fast bacilli (AFB) on FNA smears in 24 (60%) patients and urine samples in 11 and indirectly in 9 patients with negative AFB by using a combination of a positive Mantoux test (5 of 9), presence of caseating granulomas on FNA smears (7 of 9) and therapeutic response to ATT (9 of 9). CONCLUSION: FNA as a minimally invasive technique plays a prime role in the diagnosis of tubercular epididymitis and epididymoorchitis. It provides adequate material for cytologic and microbiologic examination and helps to avoid unnecesary orchiectomy.