Tuberculosis in Pregnancy after in Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer: Case Series and Literature Review

Abstract

Background Worldwide, tuberculosis (TB) remains an important cause of maternal mortality and morbidity, accounting for approximately one-third of annual deaths. Moreover, untimely TB treatment during pregnancy increases the risk of perinatal complications and poor fetal prognosis. Recently, there has been widespread use of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). However, its clinical characteristics and possible mechanisms of TB infection in pregnant women who conceive by IVF-ET remain unclear. Therefore, we report three cases of young pregnant women diagnosed with TB after IVF-ET and describe their diagnosis and treatment. Case presentation Three young women (age: 26–31 years) diagnosed with primary infertility underwent IVF-ET treatment. They lacked a history of TB or manifestations of activated TB before transplantation. After presenting with fever, cough, and headache at 5–12 weeks of pregnancy, they were diagnosed with miliary TB, disseminated TB, and tuberculous meningitis, respectively. Initially, the patients were on a daily fixed-dose combination of first-line anti-TB treatment (ATT), which comprised rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol, followed by medication adjustment during treatment for 6–12 months. Although all fetuses were lost, the patients achieved optimal outcomes after timely ATT. Conclusions This report demonstrates the increased risk of TB in pregnant women who conceive by IVF-ET. Therefore, it is important to carefully monitor these women even if they lack a history of or exposure to TB. Accordingly, prompt diagnosis and treatment of TB in these patients is necessary to optimize patient outcomes.