Cervical tuberculosis (TB) is a rare entity with only a few case reports in the literature. It is often secondary to hematogenous or lymphatic spread from a tubercular focus elsewhere in the body. We present a case of a 35-year-old female presenting with foul-smelling vaginal discharge and lower abdominal pain. Pap smear revealed an occasional epithelioid cell granuloma and was confirmed positive for TB on culture. She had no history or contact history for TB with an unremarkable chest X-ray. The present case thus highlights the importance of a Pap smear, which is a simple and non-invasive investigation, in the diagnosis of TB in patients with primary gynecological complaints. A high index of suspicion and active screening of Pap smears is thus warranted, especially in countries where the disease burden of TB is still high.
Sharma et al. (2026) studied this question.