The patterns and distribution of female genital tuberculosis among Togolese patients

Objectives: Tuberculosis is a real public health problem in developing countries. The aim of our article was to study the epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic characteristics of female genital tuberculosis in Togo. Patients and methods This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study on all cases concerning histologically diagnosed female genital tuberculosis in the department of pathological anatomy of Lomé in 1997-2018 (20years). Results: We collected 22 cases of women's GT, representing 2.2% (1008 cases) of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis. The mean age of the patients was 33.8 ± 0.2 years. Nine (9) patients had a history of treated GT. Depending on the location, the ovaries and fallopian tubes were the most affected (n=9 cases, 40.9%). Eighteen patients (81.8%) had at least one immunosuppression factor including HIV in 13 patients (72.2%). The reasons for consultation were metrorrhagia and pelvic pain with an associated mass in 7 women discovered on clinical examination and imaging. The macroscopic appearance of the specimens was suggestive of the diagnosis of genital tuberculosis in 12 cases (54.5%). Histology revealed caseous necrosis isolated in 3 patients (13.6%) and associated with gigantocellular epithelioid granulomas in 19 patients (86.4%). The patients received standard antibiotic treatment combining rifampicin, isoniazid, ethambutol and pyrazinamide. Conclusion: Genital tuberculosis is a rare extra-pulmonary location in Togo, often occurring in women with HIV, and the clinical polymorphism can lead to confusion with gynecological cancers.