Clinical characteristics and outcome of genitourinary tuberculosis in Balochistan: An observational study.

Abstract

Objective: To make aware that the healthcare professionals should diagnose GUTB as early as possible to avoid the grave side effects of untreated cases as it can lead to the gross structural abnormalities in the Genito urinary system. Study Design: Single Center Observational study. Setting: Tertiary Care Medicine Unit in Baluchistan, in BMCH Teaching Hospital. Period: 1^st January 2012 to 31^st Dec 2022. Material & Methods: Total 118 patients were enrolled in the research and patients were taken a detailed history, they went through physical examination, then they went they underwent through different diagnostic modalities as per the availability in indications. The diagnosed cases were treated and the follow up was done the mean duration for the follow up was around two years. Results: All individuals received interventions primarily involving anti-tuberculosis medications. Three patients had bilateral fallopian tubes obstruction who went under laparoscopy and later on 1 couple opted for IVF, for infertility. Anti-TB drug therapy resulted in severe adverse reactions in 8 individuals. Among them, two female patients experienced the formation of a thimble bladder accompanied by incapacitating storage symptoms. Additionally, at the time of diagnosis, 4 patients exhibited impaired renal functions, which, fortunately, remained unaltered following the completion of the prescribed treatment. None of our patients went into ESRD, and no death during study was reported due to GUTB. Conclusion: It was concluded in our study that Genito urinary tuberculosis being the second commonest type of extrapulmonary tuberculosis is also common in Baluchistan and it needs to be treated and diagnosed and treated as soon as possible, we also suggest that if the expert diagnostic modalities for the diagnosis of GUTB are not available even the clinical suspicion can be used to diagnose the case and start the treatment.