FRI-04 GENITOURINARY TUBERCULOSIS: FROM MUMMIES TO MODERN DAY

Abstract

You have accessJournal of UrologyHistory of Urology: History Forum I1 Apr 2016FRI-04 GENITOURINARY TUBERCULOSIS: FROM MUMMIES TO MODERN DAY Jonathan Pavlinec, Rishi Modh, and Thomas Stringer Jonathan PavlinecJonathan Pavlinec More articles by this author , Rishi ModhRishi Modh More articles by this author , and Thomas StringerThomas Stringer More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2016.02.089AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Tuberculosis (TB) affects one-third of the world population, with genitourinary manifestations occurring in an estimated 4-20 percent of individuals with a pulmonary infection. Involvement of the genitourinary tract accounts for 40 percent of extra-pulmonary TB cases, second only to lymph node involvement. Given the ancient history of tuberculosis dating as far back as 9,000 BC, genitourinary manifestations of TB have invariably been present for thousands of years prior to G. L. Bayle first classic description in 1810. METHODS Literature review was performed to understand the historical significance of genitourinary tuberculosis and the role of mycobacteria within urology, including review of textbook chapters and peer-reviewed articles on pubmed. RESULTS Researches in Portugal recently identified the oldest suspected case of renal tuberculosis in an Egyptian mummy from approximately 900 BC. Several other cases of genitourinary findings consistent with tubercular disease have been described in the literature, spanning many of the major, ancient civilizations. Predating the classic description of genitourinary tuberculosis by nearly three millennia, tuberculosis has exerted an enduring and mystifying effect on the history of mankind. Several contributions from the study of Mycobacteria continue to play a role in practice today, including Dr. Robert Koch’s urine studies of genitourinary tuberculosis that shaped “Koch’s postulates,” the early foundation for the field of microbiology. Dr. Selman Waksman first coined the term “antibiotic” in describing the effects of streptomycin on mycobacteria. In addition, vaccine work against Mycobacteria by Calmette and Guerin was discovered to induce immunologic reactivity and tumor inhibition, the foundation for our regimens of therapy for superficial bladder cancers. Several other impactful discoveries and correlations may be attributed to the public health impact and historical perception of tuberculosis and it’s genitourinary manifestations. These range from the widespread use of TB sanitariums, to the thought that vampires were associated with TB, to the identified transmission of genitourinary tuberculosis to Jewish males during circumcision rituals from the infected sputum of Rabbis. CONCLUSIONS Tuberculosis is one of the oldest human diseases and has spanned across millennia, affecting major ancient civilizations and still persisting as a leading public health concern in 2015. It has likely been the major cause of anatomic deterioration of the urinary tract for thousands of years, but was not readily apparent clinically due to the long latency period and the markedly shorter life expectancy prior to the 19th and 20th centuries. © 2016FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 195Issue 4SApril 2016Page: e527 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2016MetricsAuthor Information Jonathan Pavlinec More articles by this author Rishi Modh More articles by this author Thomas Stringer More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...