Epidemiology of Extrapulmonary Tuberculosis in the Golestan Province, Northeast of Iran

Background and objectives: Although extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) is a secondary target for national TB control programs, it is considered an important health problem worldwide. This study was carried out to investigate the epidemiology of EPTB in the Golestan Province, Northeast of Iran. Methods: This was a population-based, retrospective analysis of all EPTB cases registered in the TB Unit of the Golestan Province during 2012–2015. Socioeconomic and environmental variables as well as data regarding place of residence, method of admission and diagnosis and outcome status were recorded. Data were analyzed in SPSS 25.0 using descriptive and analytical statistics. Results: A total of 741 EPTB cases were included in the study. Patients were mainly female (59.1%), aged under 40 years (57.6%), Fars (39.6%) and with less than five years of education (46.7%). The prevalence of EPTB was significantly higher in non-native ethnicities (P 0.001). The mortality rate among patients was 5.1%. In addition, the prevalence of EPTB was significantly higher among smokers (P 0.001). The most common forms of the disease were pleural (30.5%) and lymphadenopathy (22.0%). Culture and PCR were performed in only about 10 percent of the EPTB patients. Conclusion: EPTB is more prevalent among the non-native population of the Golestan Province. Promoting socioeconomic status and development of screening programs may help reduce the prevalence of EPTB in this area.