2. Pelvic Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is a common disease caused by bacteria. And the worst part is that the
bacteria can remain for a longer time inside the human body and can cause infertility.
We at SWCIC- the famous test tube bay center in Hyderabad India offers the best
treatment for this through the following treatment method.
A silent cause of Infertility
• Tuberculosis (TB) is a very common disease and is caused by a bacterium called
Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Lungs are the most common organs involved
followed by the genitourinary tract (meaning the kidneys and pelvic organs in both
males and females) but TB is a systemic illness and any organ of the body can be
affected. Route of entry into the body is through lungs.
Symptoms
• Female genital organs are one of the common sites to be involved in women. It is a
chronic disease and bacteria remain for long time in the body slowly destroying
the organs (uterus, fallopian tubes and the ovaries in females and related organs
in men).
3. • The disease may remain totally asymptomatic or may lead to pelvic pain, fever,
menstrual disturbances (heavy bleeding or no periods at all) or vaginal discharge
(leucorrhoea). Sometimes fluid may accumulate in the abdomen.
• Fallopian tubes which transport eggs from the ovaries to the uterus are the most
common organs involved and when blocked (due to inflammation or adhesions)
leads to permanent infertility.
Diagnosis Genital tuberculosis is diagnosed by:
• Mantoux test (minor skin test)
• Endometrial biopsy/TB-PCR i.e. testing the inner lining of the uterus which is best
done by a gynec practitioner. It is a very simple procedure and is done in the clinic.
This test is positive in only 50-60 % of cases.
• Endoscopic procedures i.e. Laparoscopy and Hysteroscopy can help in diagnosing
the disease and also in treating adhesions caused due to tuberculosis.
4. Treatment
• Very effective medicines are now available, commonly called antitubercular
therapy or ATT. The medicines are very effective in killing the bacteria. The
treatment has to continue for a minimum of 6-9 months. Intensive therapy with 4
drugs is given for 2months followed by a 3drugs for 4 months.
• However, the drugs cannot repair the damage done by TB. Fallopian tubes which
are commonly damaged by the disease remain blocked and function cannot be
easily restored – But with FTC (Fallopian tube catheterization) tubes can be
recannulated to a large extent.
• Infertility is the commonest presentation for genital tuberculosis; Other symptoms
may be profuse white discharge and irregular/scanty periods. Almost 60 – 70 %
cases of genital TB present with infertility. In India almost 5 % – 10 % of all infertility
is caused by genital TB. Medical treatment may restore fertility in early cases.
• Advanced tuberculosis in which the fallopian tubes are completely blocked or
damaged patients have to resort to Laparoscopy to open blocked tubes or IVF (In
vitro fertilization) and IMSI (Intracytoplasmic injection of a morphologically
selected sperm)