Tuberculosis remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Its management has become more complex because of increased resistance to commonly used antituberculosis drugs.
This article will review the diagnosis and therapy of patients infected with drug-resistant strains of M.tuberculosis. Treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis can be difficult, and may necessitate the use of second line drugs or resectional surgery. Therefore, management of patients with resistant disease should only be undertaken by, or in very close consultation with, experts in this area. Good patient outcomes depend upon a rapid and accurate diagnosis, and the institution, administration, and monitoring of proper therapy.