[Capture-recapture method--an instrument for estimating TB prevalence].

Capture-recapture is a statistical method for determining, by means of a probabilistic calculation, the number of individuals with a certain characteristic in a population. Underestimation of the incidence of different diseases is currently an important epidemiological issue. In these circumstances, any disease monitoring system should be formally evaluated under the aspect of accuracy. Capture-recapture can match such a request. It is important to estimate the degree of incidence underestimation and the proportion of non-registered cases. This method can be applied virtually in any situation where there are two incomplete data sources. In epidemiology, the sources can vary: hospital charts, laboratory results, medical prescriptions, etc. Even with incomplete lists, the number of non-registered cases can be estimated by combining the data.