Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Jun 1;35(3):263-269.
doi: 10.1097/GCO.0000000000000866. Epub 2023 Mar 6.

Genital tuberculosis, infertility and assisted reproduction

Nousheen Mir  1 , Lubna Pal  2
Affiliations
Review

Genital tuberculosis, infertility and assisted reproduction

Nousheen Mir et al. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: The goal of this review is to familiarize a global readership on the subtilities of clinical presentation and the mayhem that a missed diagnosis of genital tuberculosis (GTB) is capable of inflicting on the health and wellbeing of infertile women with untreated GTB attempting to conceive with assisted reproductive technology (ART).

Recent findings: Emerging and recent literature relating to the epidemiology and clinical presentation of GTB and reporting of unique risks of ART for maternal and fetal morbidity in untreated cases of GTB are reviewed. Evidence relating to a broadening spectrum of screening methodologies for GTB detection of GTB is additionally considered.

Summary: Genital TB must be considered as a mechanism for couple's infertility in at-risk populations. Attempting to treat female GTB-related infertility with in-vitro fertilization poses unique and potentially life-threatening risks, both to the mother and to the conceptus; these risks can be avoided through vigilance, appropriate screening and timely treatment prior to proceeding with IVF.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Global tuberculosis report 2021. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021. Available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240037021 . [Accessed 25 January 2023]
    1. Filardo TD, Feng P, Pratt RH, et al. Tuberculosis — United States, 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2022; 71:441–446.
    1. Aghajani J, Farnia P, Farnia P, et al. Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on incidence of mycobacterial diseases among suspected tuberculosis pulmonary patients in Tehran. Iran Int J Mycobacteriol 2022; 11:415–422.
    1. Tjahyadi D, Ropii B, Tjandraprawira KD, et al. Female genital tuberculosis: clinical presentation, current diagnosis, and treatment. Infect Dis Obstet Gynecol 2022; 2022:3548190.
    1. World Health Organization. Tuberculosis in women. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2015.