Diagnostic pitfalls of urogenital tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVES: To describe characteristics, details of diagnosis and outcomes of urogenital tuberculosis (UGTB) in a low-prevalence country. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study of 37 consecutive patients diagnosed with UGTB between 1st January 2014 and 31st October 2019 in an East London hospital. RESULTS: 68% (25/37) of patients were male and the median age was 42 years (IQR 34-55). 89% (33/37) of patients were born outside the United Kingdom with 65% (24/37) born in the South Asian region. Renal (32.4%), epididymal (24.3%) and endometrial TB (21.6%) were the most prevalent forms of UGTB. Only 13.5% of UGTB patients had concurrent pulmonary TB. The median length of time from symptom onset to treatment was 163 days, while endometrial TB had an average delay to diagnosis of 564 days. Approximately half of patients with UGTB were culture positive (51.4%). However, 70% of early morning urines (EMUs) sent in urinary TB were culture positive. 11 patients (30.6%) underwent two or more invasive procedures, such as biopsy to obtain specimen samples. The mean treatment length for all UGTB cases was 7.3 months (SD 3.1). Notably, 25% of patients with endometrial TB required surgery despite antituberculous treatment. CONCLUSIONS: UGTB is challenging to diagnose as early disease is often asymptomatic. Clinicians faced with non-specific symptoms, or features suggestive of urogenital malignancy amongst patients from TB-endemic areas, should maintain a high suspicion of UGTB.

[REASONS OF DELAYED DIAGNOSIS OF BLADDER TUBERCULOSIS].

UNLABELLED: The fourth, terminal, stage of bladder tuberculosis (BT) manifests itself in irreversible changes and requires surgical treatment. OBJECTIVE: To identify the reasons for delayed diagnosis of this urogenital tuberculosis complication. Medical history of 26 urogenital tuberculosis patients with a complicated form of stage 4 BT, referred to the Novosibirsk TB Research Institute for reconstructive surgery were analysed. In 22 patients, bladder volume ranged from 55 to 100 ml, 4 patients previously underwent cystostomy due to extremely small bladder volume. Average duration of BT hidden in the guise of "urogenital infection" was 6.2 years. Patients were treated with norfloxacin (a total of 104 courses), ciprofloxacin (86 courses), amikacin (43 courses), nitroxoline (27 courses), third generation cephalosporins (32 courses), lomefloxacin (17 courses), levofloxacin (11 courses), Amoxicillin clavulanate (4 courses), ampicillin (2 courses). It was demonstrated that all cases of BT stage 4 were iatrogenic. Irreversible debilitating complications occurred due to suboptimal therapy, primarily due to administration of amikacin and fluoroquinolones for urogenital infections, which was tuberculosis in disguise. Absence of M. tuberculosis growth does not exclude tuberculosis; pathological specimens must be further examined at least by PCR. Interventional material must be mandatory examined histologically and stained by Ziehl-Neelsen method to identify M. tuberculosis. Effective and not masking tuberculosis, optimal therapy for urogenital infections includes fosfomycin, furazidin (nitrofurantoin), gentamicin, III generation cephalosporins (in outpatient settings dispersible form of efixime should be preferable).

[Urogenital tuberculosis today].

In order to analyze the structure of urogenital tuberculosis, retrospective analysis of medical records of 131 patients with newly diagnosed urogenital tuberculosis observed in the Novosibirsk Regional TB Dispensary from 2009 to 2011 was performed. The renal tuberculosis is main form in the structure is urotuberculosis, detected in 75% of patients, and widespread destructive forms of the disease were diagnosed in more than half of cases. Isolated nephrotuberculosis was more often diagnosed in women--56.8%. 15.9% of patients had asymptomatic nephrotuberculosis; one-third of patients complained of pain in the lumbar region and frequent painful urination (35.2 and 39.8%, respectively); symptoms of intoxication were present in 17% of patients, renal colic--in 9.1%, and gross hematuria--in 7.9% of patients. Mycobacteriuria in isolated nephrotuberculosis was detected in 31.8% of cases. Acute tuberculous orchiepididymitis developed in 35.7% of patients, hemospermia was observed in 7.1% of patients, dysuria was in 35.7% of patients. The pain in the perineum, frequent painful urination (both by 31.6%), hemospermia (26.3%) were main complaints in prostate tuberculosis. Mycobacteria was detected in 10.5% of cases. It was found that urogenital tuberculosis has no pathognomonic symptoms; the most alarming manifestations include long-term dysuria, hematuria, hemospermia.

Imaging findings of prostate tuberculosis by transrectal contrast-enhanced ultrasound and comparison with 2D ultrasound and pathology.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) appearances of prostate tuberculosis (PTB) and its correlation with histopathology. METHODS: Clinical, transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) and CEUS data of 12 PTB patients confirmed by pathology were retrospectively analyzed, and compared to the pathological findings to identify the pathological structures corresponding to different image enhancement areas. RESULTS: No specific characteristics could be found for the clinical appearances. Enlarged gland, hypoechoic lesions and calcification due to PTB could be found by TRUS, which were also non-specific. CEUS showed hypo- or non-enhanced lesions with varying size, which were related to different pathological stages of PTB. The incidence rate of non-enhanced lesions was 83.3%. The detection rate of suspected lesion by CEUS was significantly higher than that by TRUS (χ2 = 8.000, p = 0.005). Histopathology showed that the hypoenhanced area consisted of tuberculous granulomas, caseous necrosis and incomplete destruction of the glands, while the non-enhanced area consisted of caseous or liquified necrosis. CONCLUSION: CEUS could improve the detection rate of PTB lesions, and the diversity of its manifestations was related to different pathological structures. An enlarged, soft gland with non-enhanced on CEUS may provide valuable information for the diagnosis of PTB, but it is not a substitute for biopsy due to the diversity of CEUS findings. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: When the lesions of prostate gland are unclear in TRUS examination, CEUS is an ideal option for the detection of lesions, which is conducive to targeted guidance of biopsy areas.

Bilateral testicular tuberculomas: a case detection.

Genitourinary tuberculosis (TB) is the most frequent manifestation of extrapulmonary TB, where the epididymides, seminal vesicles and prostate are the commonly infected sites, followed by the testes. We report a 29-year-old man who presented with primary infertility since 2 years. He had a history of bilateral painful scrotal swelling with fever since 4 years, diagnosed as pyogenic scrotal abscess, which was managed by incision and drainage. At presentation, fever, weight loss and night sweats were absent. On examination, he had ovoid slightly tender, firm to hard irregular masses in the lower poles of both testes with no line of separation encroaching on both epididymes. Both testes were not felt distinctly and the overlying scrotal skin showed no signs of inflammation. Semen analysis revealed azoospermia. Scrotal colour coded duplex ultrasonography demonstrated moderately enlarged testes having well defined hypoechoic masses with foci of calcifications. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed these findings. Biopsy and histopathology detected the presence of caseating granuloma and Ziehl-Neelsen staining of paraffin sections demonstrated acid-fast bacilli. The patient was treated with combination therapy. Tracing of the condition is discussed.

Vulvar Tuberculosis-A Rare Manifestation of the Disease.

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. According to data from the World Health Organization, this disease remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Although it most commonly affects the lungs, tuberculosis can compromise any organ. The present study reports a rare case of vulvar tuberculosis in a postmenopausal woman with a history of asymptomatic pulmonary and pleural tuberculosis, with no prior documented contact with the bacillus. Diagnosis was based on vulvar lesion biopsies, with histological findings suggestive of infection and isolation of M. tuberculosis by microbiological culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) essays. The lesions reverted to normal after tuberculostatic therapy.

A tuberculose é uma doença infeciosa causada pelo Mycobacterium tuberculosis. De acordo com dados da Organização Mundial de Saúde, esta doença mantém-se entre as principais causas de morte no mundo. Embora afete mais frequentemente os pulmões, a tuberculose pode comprometer qualquer órgão. O presente artigo relata um caso raro de tuberculose vulvar numa mulher na pós-menopausa, com antecedentes de tuberculose pleural e pulmonar assintomática, sem contato documentado com o bacilo. O diagnóstico foi feito com base na biópsia da lesão vulvar, com achados histológicos sugestivos da infeção e isolamento do M. tuberculosis por meios de cultura e pela técnica da reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR). Após terapêutica tuberculostática, as lesões reverteram.

Genitourinary tuberculosis in Taiwan: A 15-year experience at a teaching hospital.

BACKGROUND: Genitourinary tuberculosis (GUTB) is rare but fatal if not diagnosed early. The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcomes of GUTB in Taiwan. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 57 patients who were diagnosed as GUTB from January 2002 to December 2016, over a 15-year period. Demographic data and clinical manifestations were recorded for analysis. RESULTS: There were 37 males and 20 females with a median age of 71 years. Kidney (24.6%) was the most involved organ. Fever (56.1%) was the major presentation. Sixteen (28.1%) patients presented unfavorable outcome. Compared with the favorable outcome group, the unfavorable outcome group had more malignancy (p = 0.013), fever (p = 0.020), anemia (p = 0007), thrombocytopenia (p = 0.003), and hypoalbuminemia (p = 0.015). In a multivariate analysis, fever (odds ratio: 42.716, 95% confidence interval: 1.032-1767.569; p = 0.048) was identified as prognostic factors for unfavorable outcome. CONCLUSION: GUTB is often in advanced stages with a high mortality in Taiwan. Establishing a diagnosis is difficult and requires thorough investigation. Fever is associated with unfavorable outcome.

Tubercular sinus of labia majora: rare case report.

Tuberculosis of the female external genitalia is unusual and primary infection is rare. We report a 50-year-old female patient admitted to Department to Surgery with swelling over left inguinal area with discharging sinus from labia majora to left inguinal crease which was found to be tubercular sinus on histopathology.

A case of scrotal sarcoidosis that mimicked tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: A 38-year-old man presented with bilateral testicular swelling, night sweats and weight loss with little response to antibiotics. Examination revealed systemic lymphadenopathy and multiple small masses arising from both testes. INVESTIGATIONS: Scrotal ultrasound revealed multiple intratesticular, hypoechoic lesions; chest radiograph and abdominal ultrasound were normal. A CT scan revealed multilevel lymphadenopathies. A Heaf (tuberculin) skin test was negative. Testicular biopsy revealed multiple granulomata, some of which showed patchy central necrosis. DIAGNOSIS: A diagnosis of tuberculosis was initially made. After 3 months of clinical deterioration despite antitubercular drug therapy, however, the diagnosis was changed to sarcoidosis because blood results revealed hypercalcemia, elevated serum angiotensin-converting enzyme, and an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. MANAGEMENT: The patient improved dramatically on corticosteroid therapy, with complete regression of all testicular lesions on imaging after 2 months. Steroids were tapered, then discontinued after 6 months. The patient remained in complete remission, but became oligospermic by the 3 year follow-up.

Genitourinary tuberculosis in a medical center in southern Taiwan: an eleven-year experience.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Genitourinary tuberculosis is the second most common disease form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. This study analyzed the clinical characteristics and outcome in 31 patients with genitourinary tuberculosis treated between 1994 and 2004 at a tertiary medical center in southern Taiwan. METHODS: Data were collected by chart review. Diagnosis was based on microbiological or histological proof plus compatible radiographic findings and clinical presentation. RESULTS: This study included 14 men (45%) and 17 women (55%). Their ages ranged from 31 to 81 years (mean, 58.1 years). Genitourinary symptoms (83.9%) were more frequent than constitutional symptoms (35.5%). Pyuria plus hematuria with sterile culture (51.6%) was the most common finding. Only 25.8% of patients had a known history of pulmonary tuberculosis. Diagnosis was based on microbiological findings in 11 patients (35.5%), and by histological findings in 20 (64.5%) patients. Intravenous pyelography revealed abnormalities in 94% of patients and renal ultrasonography in 79.2%. Imaging studies were characteristic of advanced stage in most patients. Twenty-five percent of patients were classified as having treatment failure after at least 6 months of therapy. The treatment failure rate was higher in patients with positive microbiological findings (71.4%) than in those with histological findings alone (5.9%, p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The high rate of treatment failure and advanced stage of disease at diagnosis are indicative of the challenge in the care of patients with genitourinary tuberculosis in Taiwan.

Tuberculosis of the bladder without previous renal infection.

Tuberculous (TB) infections are usually limited to the pulmonary system but the hematogenous spread of TB can result in secondary infections in any part of the body. Genitourinary TB is uncommon and follows hematogenous spread from a primary pulmonary infection to the kidneys. A rare case of a TB infection of the bladder without renal involvement is described.

Genitourinary tuberculosis.

Although uncommon, genitourinary tuberculosis is the most common site of extrapulmonary tuberculosis infection. Its diagnosis is often difficult. This article provides an overview of the pathologic and radiologic findings of this disease process.

Tuberculosis of the genitourinary tract: imaging features with pathological correlation.

The prevalence of pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) has been increasing over the past decade, due to the rising number of people with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and the development of drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The genitourinary tract is the most common site of extrapulmonary TB. Diagnosis is often difficult because TB has a variety of clinical and radiological findings. It can mimic numerous other disease entities. A high level of clinical suspicion and familiarity with various radiological manifestations of TB allow early diagnosis and timely initiation of proper management. This pictorial essay illustrates the spectrum of imaging features of TB affecting the kidney, ureter, bladder, and the female and male genital tracts.

The place and the role of histological examination in diagnostic algorithm of urinary system tuberculosis.

The diagnosis of tuberculosis of renal and urinary tract is made by identifying Koch bacillus in special cultures and using histological examination of surgical removed pieces. Not in all cases the usual pathological techniques are very specific. Using special stain for acid-fast bacilli it can be certified the etiological diagnostic. Histological changes of renal parenchyma and/or upper urinary tract (renal pelvis and urether) structures in 57 patients clinical and paraclinical pyonephrosis diagnosed where studied. All the surgical removed pieces were studied using usual pathology methods. In order to find renal tuberculosis we performed on surgical pieces special staining (Ziehl-Nielsen), we noted the pathological finding in each case and we found 7 cases with certainly tuberculosis etiology.

Late generalized tuberculosis: a clinical pathologic analysis and comparison of 100 cases in the preantibiotic and antibiotic eras.

1. The clinical and pathologic findings in 100 patients with late generalized tuberculosis (LGT) are described and a comparison made between the findings occurring in the preantibiotic era with those in the early antibiotic period. The clinical presentation of LGT as seen in a general hospital has changed. Whereas, in the preantibiotic era, LGT was often the primary disease, occurring principally in young adults and frequently associated with pulmonary symptoms, in the antibiotic era, LGT commonly occurred together with and was frequently obscured by other diseases, often afflicted the elderly and was much less frequently accompanied by pulmonary symptoms. Symptoms related to extrapulmonary organ tuberculosis in this era were absent in 30% of patients. 2. Diagnostic difficulties in LGT arose because 20% of patients exhibited no constitutional symptoms prior to hospitalization, a history of tuberculosis often was lacking, fever curves and hematologic findings, with the exception of a left shift, commonly were non-specific, monocytosis frequently was absent, chest x-rays were non-diagnostic in about 50% of the cases, and anergy occured particularly in the elderly. 3. Caseous foci responsible for hematogenous spread generally derived from reactivated old caseous lesions located principally in the lungs, lymph nodes, bone, central nervous system, adrenals, and genito-urinary tract. Simultaneous reactivation of anatomically unrelated foci in multiple organs and lymph nodes occurred in 54% of cases. Although chronic pulmonary tuberculosis commonly was associated with LGT in the preantibiotic era, this association was uncommon in recent times. Chronic pulmonary tuberculosis served as the sole source for hematogenous dissemination infrequently and the pulmonary lesions responsible were acute. 5. Large caseous foci located in lymph nodes, bone, prostate gland, and central nervous system frequently occurred in the absence of clinical symptoms and therefore were undiagnosable. 6. The clinical course of LGT was often rapid, although histologic features indicated that the course in some patients was protracted or even episodic. 7. Miliary tubercles very frequently showed caseation and often they enlarged to cause progressive or complicated lesions. Chest x-rays and culture diagnoses were dependent on the formation of these complicated lesions. 8. Liver biopsy is recommended as a diagnostic procedure since 97% of patients exhibited granulomata in this organ. Of diagnostic importance is the fact that 90% of these granulomata exhibited caseous necrosis. Twenty-two percent of patients with liver granulomatas did not show tubercles in the bone marrow. 9. Multiple pathways rather than an exlcusive lymphangitic route were available for tubercle bacilli to gain access to the blood stream and cause hematogenous dissemination.

Tuberculous prostatitis.

A study of 5 patients with tuberculosis prostatitis revealed that (1) there is a greater chance of striking a noncaseating granuloma than a caseating lesion by needle biospy when both are present; (2) the absence of caseation on biopsy does not necessarily rule out tuberculosis; and (3) special stains may be negative for tuberculosis because of the small size of the tissue sample. Thus, if the clinical suspicion of tuberculous prostatitis is high and if noncaseating lesions are found, a second biopsy specimen should be taken for culture only.

Study of local and systemic effects of intravesical BCG.

Defects in cell-mediated immunity have been implicated as one of the underlying causes for the appearance and progression of neoplasms. One approach toward correcting these defects employs immune potentiators for the purpose of stimulating cell-mediated immunity. BCG is the immune potentiator which has been used most frequently in the experimental and clinical situation. A preliminary study directed toward ascertaining the local histologic changes and systemic serum response to BCG injection in the dog bladder was undertaken in anticipation of its possible application in the treatment of bladder neoplasm. Local response was predictable and was associated with low morbidity. The appearance of serum precipitin bands to culture filtrates of Mycobacteria tuberculosis strains strongly suggests systemic absorption and reaction to BCG administered intravesically.

Retroperitoneoscopic extirpation for adult multicystic calcified dysplastic kidneys with contralateral ureteral abnormalities mimicking genitourinary tuberculosis.

PURPOSE: To identify adult multicystic calcified dysplastic kidneys (AMCDK) with contralateral ureteral abnormalities mimicking urinary tuberculosis and to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of retroperitoneoscopic extirpation in their management. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively identified a group of adult patients who were referred to us as having unilateral nonfunctioning kidney containing calcified cystic masses with a contralateral normally functioning kidney along with segmental dilation of ureter. Two patients had histories of treatment elsewhere with antitubercular drugs on the basis of imaging studies, before being referred to our center for retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy with a diagnosis of nonfunctioning left kidneys and urinary tuberculosis. The other two cases with similar findings on imaging studies were detected incidentally while the patients were undergoing investigations for vague abdominal symptoms. RESULTS: All these patients had AMCDK on the left side and a contralateral normally functioning kidney with ureteral abnormality. Retroperitoneoscopic extirpation of the nonfunctioning left renal unit was carried out uneventfully with a mean operating time, blood loss, and hospital stay of 124 minutes, 80 mL, and 3 days, respectively. There were no complications. The dissection in these cases was difficult, as the dysplastic calcified kidney was plastered in the retroperitoneum. CONCLUSION: Unilateral AMCDK with contralateral segmental dilation of the ureter may be separate entity or a coincidental finding, and it should not be confused with urinary tuberculosis unless there is microbiological and radiologic or histopathologic evidence of infection. Minimally invasive surgery in the form of retroperitoneoscopic extirpation is feasible, safe, and effective in such cases, although difficult, and it requires skills as well as experience.