Tuberculosis of the testis and its appendages

Abstract

Tuberculosis of the genitourinary system has not lost its relevance. During the years of the pandemic of a new coronavirus infection, the number of newly diagnosed cases of tuberculosis of all localizations has decreased, but their structure has become more severe and mortality has increased. There is a wide variation in the statistics of urogenital tuberculosis (UGT) in the literature. The true incidence of scrotal tuberculosis is not known; at the end of the last century, it was believed that it was 7% of all cases of tuberculosis. It is believed that the share of isolated tuberculosis of the genital organs of men accounts for no more than 30% of all localizations of UGT, and most often tuberculosis develops in the epididymis. The spread of M. tuberculosis to the organs of the scrotum, as a rule, occurs by the hematogenous route from the primary focus in the lungs or kidney. However, the infection can also spread retrogradely from the prostate and seminal vesicles to the epididymis and testicles. Tuberculosis of the testis and its epididymis is often complicated by infertility and the formation of fistulas. This disease has no pathognomonic symptoms. Differential diagnosis is carried out between tuberculous epididymo-orchitis, testicular tumor, testicular torsion, bacterial epididymo-orchitis. Ultrasound examination is of great diagnostic value in tuberculosis of the scrotal organs. The ultrasound picture in tuberculosis of the testis and its epididymis is divided into 4 types: diffuse enlargement, heterogeneous hypoechogenicity; diffuse increase, uniform hypoechogenicity; nodular enlargement, heterogeneous hypoechogenicity; miliary dissemination. The world literature does not describe an example of tuberculosis of the scrotal organs, when the disease would be diagnosed during the patient’s initial visit to the doctor. As a result of late diagnosis or low suspicion for TB, up to 70% of patients undergo unnecessary surgery, although TB orchiepididymitis can be treated medically. The lecture also analyzed a number of clinical observations.