Twenty-years experience on genitourinary tuberculosis.

OBJECTIVE: We reviewed our surgical experience on genitourinary tuberculosis in the past 20 years in order to evaluate if any change in the incidence and management of this disease has occurred. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1980 to 1999, at our Institution, 102 patients underwent surgery for genitourinary tuberculosis. We recorded the data and the surgical procedure of these subjects and compared patients treated in period 1980-1989 to those submitted to surgery in the period 1990-1999. RESULTS: The overall incidence of surgical management of genitourinary tuberculosis in the past 20 years was 0.50% (102 cases on a total of 20,299 urological surgical procedures). In the decade 1980-1989 the incidence was 0.67% (70 cases out of 10,428 patients) and in the decade 1990-1999 it was 0.32% (32 cases out of 9,871 patients). Nephrectomy was the most prevalent surgical procedure performed in both decades. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the availability of effective antimycobacteric drugs, surgery continues to play a role in the management of genitourinary tuberculosis. This disease is very slow to progress with minimal and subtle symptoms, often resulting in irreversible damage of the organs involved by the time a diagnosis is established.