Current views on genitourinary tuberculosis.

Tubercle bacilli are spread by the blood stream to the kidney in miliary fashion from the primary pulmonary lesion. Activation, followed by arrest, may delay development of the disease in the kidney for many years or "healing" may occur. Renal ulcerative lesions are the most frequent source of infection of other genitourinary organs. In pyelograms there is no particular characteristic of lesions of tuberculosis. Cellular elements in the urine of a patient with tuberculosis of other organs should lead to urine culture and guinea pig inoculation for mycobacterium tuberculosis. Treatment with streptomycin, isonicotinic acid and/or para-aminosalicylic acid should be started as soon as genitourinary tuberculosis is proved. Patients with advanced lesions usually receive great benefit from these medications; even though organisms may not be eliminated they are definitely diminished in activity. Excision of diseased organs or tissue may be necessary in a few cases.