Frequency of Genitourinary Tuberculosis in patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis (Sputum AFB Positive)

Abstract

Objective:  This study was carried out to determine the frequency of Genitourinary Tuberculosis in patients with active Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

Design of study:  Cross sectional descriptive.

Place and Duration:  T.B outdoor of Gulab Devi Hospital and Urology outdoor of Jinnah Hospital, Lahore during the period Oct, 2002 to Oct, 2004.

Materials and Methods:  Two hundred patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, 117 males and 83 females, ranging from 17 to 80 years of age (mean 37.9 years) were included in the study. Hundred patients were freshly diagnosed cases (group - 1) while the remaining hundred patients were already diagnosed cases of pulmonary tuberculosis and had received anti-tuberculous treatment for at least three months (group - 2). Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis was based on sputum smear positive for acid fast bacilli (AFB) by Ziehl Neelsen (ZN) staining technique. 24 hours urine was collected from each patient. Each specimen was examined for presence of mycobacterium tuberculosis by ZN staining and culture on Lowenstein Jensen (LJ) medium. Positive for one or both of these procedures was taken as positive for genitourinary tuberculosis.

Results:  Eighteen patients (18%) in group-1 and twenty three patients (23%) in group-2 were found positive for genito-urinary tuberculosis.

Conclusion:  Genitourinary tuberculosis is not uncommon in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Therefore, urine samples of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis should be examined for presence of mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Keywords:  Frequency; genitourinary tuberculosis; pulmonary tuberculosis.