[Aspects of the etiological diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculous infections]

An analysis is made of criteria used for making an etiologic diagnosis of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis over a period of 15 years, and a general correlation is noted between the figures for morbidity and those of bacteriologic confirmations. In the group of patients which has been investigated the diagnosis could be ascertained from urine samples in 44% of the cases, from lymph-nodes and nodules in 15% from pleural fluids in 14%, from purulent collections in 13%, and from the cerebrospinal fluid in 8% of the cases. Human type mycobacteria was evidenced in 90% of the cases. Bovine type of mycobacteria was found in 5% of the cases, with a higher frequency in the cerebrospinal fluid (14%) and in lymph-nodes (11%). In 79% of the cases the antibiogram has evidenced the sensitivity of the isolated strains. Resistance of the strains was noted in 10% of the cases. The strains isolated from lymph-nodes and nodules were resistant in a higher proportion (11%), and those from the pleural fluid in 15%.