Primary tuberculous cervicitis mimicking cervical carcinoma- a case report

Abstract

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis of the cervix is rare. Even with a high disease burden of tuberculosis in Nigeria, there is only a 1% affectation of the female genital tract altogether with the cervix being affected only in 5% of these and thus appears to have a relative immunity to this infection. About 90% of tuberculosis of the cervix are secondary to upper genital tract infection making a true primary cervical tuberculosis extremely rare. The disease is easily misdiagnosed clinically as a cervical carcinoma for several reasons. The clinical presentation, general physical examination and vaginal examination are all similar to what is expected in a cervical malignancy. The absence of typical X ray features and negative AAFB may also make diagnosis challenging. The cervical tissue biopsy for histopathological evaluation is usually diagnostic and changes the course of management that clinical judgement alone would have provided.

Keywords: Cervix, Tuberculous, Carcinoma