A Rare Case of Isolated Ovarian Tuberculosis Incidentally Found During In Vitro Fertilization Workup in a Young Woman With Primary Infertility

Abstract

Female genital tuberculosis (TB) is a common form of extrapulmonary TB (EPTB). It is a major cause of infertility in low-income countries, and in many cases, it is asymptomatic and typically not diagnosed until the patient seeks medical advice for infertility. The infection is usually secondary to primary pulmonary TB via hematogenous or lymphatic dissemination, but sexual transmission through genital TB of the partner is also possible. We describe a rare case of isolated ovarian TB as a fortuitous diagnosis during in vitro fertilization (IVF) workup in a 40-year-old woman with primary sterility and no specific symptoms. This case highlights the importance of screening for TB before an IVF procedure in women with infertility, especially in countries with a high prevalence of this disease.