INTRODUCTION

Relapses of tuberculosis are fairly rare nowdays and they represent the onset of tuberculosis two, or more than two years after completion of previous treatment.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In the previous period, relapses of tuberculosis occurred in 141 patients (87 male and 54 female). Their mean age was 46.2 years.

RESULTS

Relapses of tuberculosis occurred after 11.3 years, on average. All patients presented with pulmonary tuberculosis, and two patients also had pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (bones). Resistance was one of the statistically significant factors for relapse of tuberculosis. Resistance to one antituberculotic agent was most common--8 patients, resistance to two drugs--4 patients, resistance to three drugs--4 patients, resistance to four drugs in 5 patients. Due to these findings on resistant strains of mycobacterium tuberculosis, a huge number of patients with relapses of tuberculosis had full recovery and completed the treatment.

CONCLUSION

The importance of resistant strains of mycobacterium tuberculosis is really huge in our conditions. The findings of these resistant strains of mycobacterium tuberculosis and adequate medical treatment are obligatory nowadays.