Progress in the approach of tuberculosis of the genitourinary tract: remarks on a decade's experience over cases

Abstract

Tuberculosis still holds the first position among the spectrum of potentially lethal inflammatory diseases. The present paper presents the progress noted in the approach of the disease and observations recorded from the management of 160 cases of genitourinary tract tuberculosis. All patients had been admitted to the Urology Department of the Evangelismos Hospital during the period 1976-1986. Age at presentation, symptoms, diagnostic methods, staging of the disease at first diagnostic are analysed. With the latest progress in the means of diagnosis and assessment of tuberculous dissemination, and the use of new chemotherapeutic agents, the percentage of the patients medically managed have shown a definite increase. Simultaneously, the number of cases treated with reconstructive surgical operations is also increasing. Radical ablative surgical procedures still hold their position in advanced neglected cases or when chemotherapeutic regimes fail. The combined use of the new endo-urologic methods and chemotherapy is of great value.