THE SURGICAL TREATMENT OF TUBERCULOSIS OF THE GENITO-URINARY TRACT, INCLUDING THE KIDNEYS, BLADDER, TESTICLES AND SEMINAL VESICLES

Abstract

The genito-urinary tract is seldom alone the site of tuberculosis, and primary genito-urinary tuberculosis probably never occurs. The frequency with which pulmonary tuberculosis, active, quiescent or healed, is found in careful routine postmortem examinations for tuberculous lesions indicates that a high percentage of adults have or have had pulmonary tuberculosis. It is generally accepted that tuberculosis of any part of the genito-urinary tract is hemotogenous in origin. The high incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis in necropsy records would seem to indicate that the lungs act as the primary focus for the secondary dissemination through the blood stream. It is well known that in cases of active progressive pulmonary tuberculosis the disease is usually not confined to the lungs. Besides other parts of the body, the genito-urinary tract may be affected. In 500 necropsies on tuberculous subjects, Krzywicki1found 5 per cent. with involvement of the genito-urinary tract. Fowler and Godler