GENITOURINARY TUBERCULOSIS IN SPAIN - REVIEW OF 81 CASES

Cases of genitourinary tuberculosis diagnosed at the Hospital Clinico Universitario between January 1978 and December 1989 were studied. Gen itourinary tuberculosis was the most frequent type of extrapulmonary t uberculosis diagnosed, accounting for 81 (40.9%) of 198 cases. Fifty-o ne patients (63%) were men. The mean ages of male and female patients were 48.4 years and 51.1 years, respectively (range, 21-75 years). Cas es were widely distributed among most age groups; patients were most o ften 30-69 years of age. Constitutional symptoms were less frequent th an local, urinary tract-related symptoms. Only 23.5% of patients had a known history of tuberculosis. Pyuria plus hematuria with sterile cul tures was the commonest urinary finding. The results of intravenous py elography were abnormal in 95% of cases. Ziehl-Neelsen staining gave p ositive results in 48% of cases. Cultures became positive after a mean (ISD) of 2.3 +/- 1.5 weeks. Sequelae were documented in 42% of cases, but only one death due to genitourinary tuberculosis was recorded.