[Clinical features of female genital tuberculosis in the period of 1980 to 2005].

Comparative analysis of two groups of patients with female genital tuberculosis treated at the Saint Petersburg Research Institute of Phthiosiopulmonology in 1980 to 2005 has shown that patients of younger age have recently fallen ill with this disease. The genital tuberculous process is commonly preceded or attended by other forms of tuberculosis of various organs and systems, such as the lung, lymph nodes, and kidney. The pain syndrome and impaired menstrual cycle are observed in half the patients; infertility is present in 60%; profound anatomic changes are less frequently seen in the fallopian tubes. Improvement of bacteriological methods promoted the timely diagnosis of the disease.