Clinical and Epidemiological Profile of Extra-Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Kasr Al-Ainy Hospitals, Cairo, Egypt

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health challenge in Egypt, particularly concerning extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB). Aim: To delineate the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, risk factors, and treatment outcomes of EPTB patients. Methods: This study was conducted on 244 patients (144 had EPTB, compared to 94 with Pulmonary TB (PTB) & 6 patients had concurrent PTB and EPTB) at Kasr Al-Ainy Hospitals, Cairo University, between October 2023 and August 2024. Data was collected during visits to the clinic. Results: The study included 244 patients with TB. Concerning patients with EPTB (150), their mean age was 34.9 ± 14.9 years, with a slight female predominance (53%). Urban residents accounted for 49.3% of cases. The most common extrapulmonary forms were lymphadenitis (36%), pleural, and musculoskeletal TB (15.3% each). Diabetes was present in 20.7% of cases, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection in 4%, and smoking prevalence was 38.2%. Histopathology (46.7%) and Xpert mycobacterium/Rifampcin (MTB/RIF) assay (33.3%) were the main diagnostic tools. Compared to 94 PTB patients (more frequently diagnosed using microbiological smears), EPTB cases had lower percentage of cigarette smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, longer treatment durations and adjuvant steroids. Conclusion: The common forms of EPTB were lymphatic, pleural and skeletal TB. Younger patients, residents of urban areas, and people diagnosed with diabetes had a higher risk of EPTB. Effective management and prevention programs would be a major step toward controlling the spread of the disease and improving patient outcomes in Egypt.