Correlation of clinical features, laboratory finding, and pelvic ultrasonography of pulmonary tuberculosis women with infertility

Abstract

Background and purpose: The prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) in Indonesia is still high, whereas the prevalence of extra pulmonary tuberculosis such as female genital tuberculosis (FGTB) affecting infertility is unknown. FGTB caused irreversible severe damaged of tubes and endometrium, resulting in tubal occlusion and partial or total obliteration of the uterine cavity. Diagnosis of FGTB is difficult. Therefore, a prompt diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary TB in women can prevent fertility complications. This study aims to analyze the correlation of clinical features taken from the history, physical examination, investigation of blood laboratory and gynecological ultrasound of pulmonary tuberculosis women with infertility. Patients and methods: This was an observational analytic study with cross-sectional method. Subjects were women with pulmonary TB treated in TB-DOTS (tuberculosis-directly observed treatment, short-course) services at Dr Hasan Sadikin Hospital Bandung during December 2016 until March 2017. Subjects were divided into two groups consist of 32 TB patients with infertility, and 35 TB patients without infertility. Results: The results showed that clinical features such as intermenstrual bleeding, endometrial synechiae, hydrosalpinx and endometritis appearance were the difference between two groups (p <0.001), those clinical features had a moderate correlation with the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis women. Conclusion: Clinical features like endometrial synechia and ultrasound imaging such as hydrosalpinx and endometritis encountered in pulmonary and extra pulmonary tuberculosis patients with infertility can be used as a basis for the diagnosis of alleged genital TB.