A STUDY ON CO-RELATION BETWEEN INFERTILITY AND FEMALE GENITAL TUBERCULOSIS

Background: Female genitourinary tuberculosis (FGTB) is an important cause of infertility in women of reproductive age group. The disease remains undetected due to its asymptomatic nature and lack of sensitive tests. This study was conducted with the aim of detecting the prevalence of genital tuberculosis in infertile women. Aim And Objectives: To evaluate the rate of female genital tuberculosis in patients of infertility. Method And Materials: Questionnaire survey was done among 100 infertile women in 6 months from May 2020 to October 2020. Females of reproductive age group from 18 years to 35 years with the duration of infertility of more than 2 years were included. Results: Total 100 infertile females were included in the study. Out of 100 subjects, 81 cases had primary infertility & 19 had secondary infertility. There was positive history of extra genital TB in past in 30 cases and family history was positive in 26 cases. FGTB was diagnosed in 14 females in past on basis of diagnostic methods used in alone or in combination. Conclusion: FGTB is common in our population and women presenting with infertility should be evaluated for genital tuberculosis. A high degree of suspicion and combination of histopathological and microbiological tests are important methods for the detection of genital tuberculosis

Emerging progress on diagnosis and treatment of female genital tuberculosis

Female genital tuberculosis (FGTB) is an infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and usually occurs secondary to pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) through the blood circulation, lymph circulation, or direct spreading from abdominal TB. FGTB is an uncommon type of TB that can destroy genital organs, and lead to menstrual disorders and infertility. The diagnosis of FGTB is often made by detection of acid-fast bacilli under microscopy, culture with endometrial biopsy, or histopathological examination of epithelioid granuloma on a biopsy. A multidrug anti-TB regimen is the major management of FGTB, including rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol, while surgery is proposed in more deteriorated cases. However, the conception rate in infertile women with FGTB is still low, even after multidrug anti-TB therapy. Additionally, the risk of complications, such as ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage, remains high. In this review, we summarize the characteristics of FGTB, present current epidemiological data, and focus on its early diagnosis and effective management.