Gynecological tuberculosis in the west of Scotland.

Between 1st January 1950 and 15th June 1978, 638 women with proved tuberculosis of the genital tract were investigated. 7 different drug programmes were used to treat 581 patients. Apart from the most recent regimens employing ethambutol and rifampicin, the best results were obtained with a combination of streptomycin, PAS and isoniazid for 18 mth or 2 yr. Today the treatment of choice is a combination of rifampicin, ethambutol and isoniazid for 1 yr. Surgery should be employed where drug treatment has failed. It is essential that women with tuberculosis of the pelvic organs should be followed up indefinitely after drug treatment.