[The current aspects of the recurrence of tuberculosis of the respiratory organs in adults].

Data on the incidence of recurrent respiratory tuberculosis in the Russian Federation from 1978 to 1993 were analysed in 1165 adult patients with recurrence and 2017 tuberculosis-cured patients. In the vast majority of patients (97-98%), steady-state clinical healing of tuberculosis can be achieved with its favourable clinical course and adequate treatment. This is evidenced by comparatively few relapses (6-7 per 100,000 adult persons). Among all varieties of relapses, late recurrences make up 74.7-81.2% and occur on the average 9.7-13.1 years after the completion of complex treatment. Comparison of the incidence of clinical types of pulmonary tuberculosis, used treatment regimens and methods has demonstrated that the clinical course of a late recurrence did not differ from that of the first diagnosed tuberculosis. It is expedient to recognize late recurrence to be essentially a new case of pulmonary tuberculosis. This suggests that the concept of recurrence, the pathogenesis of late recurrence, the form and content of work with registered outpatients should be reviewed.