Genital tuberculosis--a major pelvic factor causing infertility in Indian women.

OBJECTIVE

To study the effect of tuberculosis, a common infectious disease in the Indian subcontinent, on the female pelvic factor and its subsequent effect on female fertility.

DESIGN

Retrospective case studies.

SETTING

Department of Infertility Management and Assisted Reproduction, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Bombay, India.

PATIENT(S): Three hundred women, between the ages of 25 and 35 years, with tubal factor as a cause of their infertile state.

RESULT(S): One hundred seventeen women with a tubal factor were found to have tuberculosis as the cause of tubal blockage. On laparoscopy, 49.5% were found to have simple tubal blockage, 15.3% showed tubo-ovarian masses, and 23.9% had a frozen pelvis. Seventy-five percent complained of menstrual irregularities, thus indicating endometrial involvement; 25.6% of these women underwent an IVF procedure. The pregnancy rate after IVF-ET was 16.6% per transfer.

CONCLUSION(S): This study highlights the fact that tuberculosis, a chronic infectious disease, is one of the major etiologic factors of female tubal infertility, especially on the Indian subcontinent.