Utility of PCR in the Diagnosis of Female Genital Tuberculosis

Abstract

Genital tuberculosis (GTB) is one of the major causes of infertility among females. Since the infection is asymptomatic in most of the cases, it makes the clinical diagnosis quite difficult. We report a case of a 24 years old female with infertility that was discovered to have endometrial tuberculosis, detected by PCR using IS6110. The culture report was negative and histopathological examination indecisive. She was given anti-TB therapy and subsequently had a pregnancy with a live birth. Although conventional methods like culture on Lowenstein-Jensen medium and histopathology are important in the diagnosis of such cases but the molecular methods like PCR can be a highly useful aid in the establishment of a rapid and early diagnosis of genital and other forms of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis.

Keywords

• Genital tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, nested polymerase chain reaction, IS6110 sequence.

Utility of PCR in the Diagnosis of Female Genital Tuberculosis

Öz

Genital tüberküloz (GTB) kadınlarda kısırlığın en önemli nedenlerinden biridir. GTB’nin klinik tanısı, olguların çoğunun asemptomatik veya çok farklı klinik görünümlerde olması nedeniyle, zordur. Biz 24 yaşında, PCR’da IS6110 probu kullanılarak endometrial tüberküloz tanısı konulan, infertil bir kadın hastayı sunduk. Hastanın kültür sonuçları negatifti ve histopatolojik incelemesi tanı koydurmuyordu. Hastaya antitüberküloz tedavi verildi ve ardından hamile kalarak canlı bir bebek doğurdu. Lowenstein-Jensen besiyerinde kültür ve histopatoloji gibi geleneksel yöntemler bu gibi olguların tanısında oldukça önemlidir; ancak PCR gibi moleküler metotlar, genital tüberküloz ve diğer akciğer dışı tüberküloz olgularında hızlı ve erken tanı koymada çok faydalı olabilmektedirler

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Genital tüberküloz, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, nested polimeraz zincir reaksiyonu, IS6110 sekansı

Kaynakça

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