An evaluation of Composite Reference Standard (CRS) for diagnosis of Female Genital Tuberculosis
Female genital tuberculosis (FGTB) is a common cause of infertility in developing countries. Its diagnosis is difficult due to its paucibacillary nature, with no single test having high sensitivity and specificity. This study is to share the experience of using Composite Reference Standard (CRS) for the diagnosis of FGTB. This is a prospective study conducted between September 2017 to June 2019, over 100 infertile females found to have FGTB on composite reference standard which consisted of acid-fast bacilli on microscopy or culture, histopathological evidence of epithelioid granuloma, positive gene Xpert on endometrial sample or definite or probable finding of FGTB on laparoscopy. A total of 100 infertile women (78% primary, 22% secondary) found to have FGTB on CRS were enrolled in this study. Mean age, body mass index, parity and duration of infertility were 28.2 years, 23.17 kg/m This study demonstrates the high reliability of use of composite reference standard for diagnosis of FGTB.
