Rifampin-resistant Relapsed Tuberculosis Confirmed by Molecular Technique

Abstract

Recurrent tuberculosis can be caused by a relapse of the original infecting strain, a re infection with a new strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis or a paradoxical response associated with the anti-tuberculosis treatment. A drug susceptibility test is important when evaluating recurrent tuberculosis but a conventional microbiological test may be unavailable or unsuccessful. Recently, direct molecular testing as a line probe assay (GenoType ® MTBDRplus, Hain Lifescience GmbH, Nehren, Germany) has shown promising results for the diagnosis or treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis.We present two cases of rifampin-resistant, relapsed tuberculosis that were confirmed using a molecular technique.