[Clinical and epidemiological aspects of TB cases registered in persons aged > or =65 between 2002-2006, at the TB dispensary of sector 4, Bucharest].

The study objectives were to find clinical and epidemiological aspects of TB cases registered between 2002-2006 in persons aged > or =65 years that belong to the TB Dispensary of the Sector 4-Bucharest. TB incidence in Romania at age group 265 years was in 2006 94% per hundred thousand (68.6% per hundred thousand in Sector 4-Bucharest). 153 new cases and 28 relapses were registered during 2002-2006, the highest percentage was between 68 and 78 years old. In 96.7% the tracking was passive and relatively delayed, with a 2.5 month mean from the onset of symptoms. The anatomical-radiological forms, caseous-extended and cavitary, represented 36% of the cases and the peripheral lymphatic node TB was the most frequent between the extrapulmonary forms--9.8%. The bacteriological confirmation was 81.7% in new TB cases. DOT strategy was applied in 76.8% of cases (139). The success rate of the therapy in the all cohort was 73.9% and the mortality was 20.4%. The introduction of a clinical surveillance system of the persons aged 65 years with a risk to develop the disease remain to be realised along with the application of the National Programme for TB Control 2007-2011.