A Clinical Study on Examination of Tubercle Bacilli in Renal Tuberculosis

Lee, Kee Hyuck; Choo, Kun Weon

Abstract

Comparative studies were performed between discovery of tubercle bacilli from prenephrectomy bladder urine and other clinical tests as performed on all 19 patients with renal tuberculosis who had been admitted to the Department of Urology at Seoul National University Hospital for the period of April 1958 hrough February 1959. The results in this study were summarized as follows: 1. Modes of antituberculosis medications prior to admission on these patients were as follow: SM only, 4 cases; combined use of SM and PAS, a cases; SM, PAS and INHcombined, 1 cases; unknown, 4 cases, and not used in 3 cases. 2. Durations of antituberculosis medications were as follow: Less one month, 4 cases, less than 6 months, 7 cases; over 6 months, 1 case; unknown, 4 cases, and not used in 3 cases. 3. Positivity rate for microscopic examination was 79% on prenephrectomy bladder urine and when two cases who also developed prostatic tuberculosis were excluded the positivity rate was 76% 4. Discovery of tubercle bacilli was not easy even on urine specimen which showed much protein and many white blood cells. 5. Cases which did not reveal tubercle bacilli on microscopic examination from caseous material of tuberculous renal cavity again showed microscopical negativity from prenephrectomy bladder urine. 6. The presence of the severe lesion of bladder wall was not related with ease with which tubercle bacilli being found from prenephrectomy bladder uriue. 7. Adverse effect was to be foundfrom antituberculosis medication as to the tubercle bacilli on prenephrectomy urine. Cases who had used antituberculosis drugs for less than one month showed high positivity rate equal to the cases who never did. 8. It was deemed unnecessary to stop using antituberculosis medication of less than two months' duration in order to discover tubercle bacilli on prenephrectomy bladder urine. 9.Inability to discover tubercle bacilli on prenephrectomy bladder urine was not wholly due to the previous use of antituberculosis drugs and to raise the positivity rate repeated examination would be indicated.