Background. Multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) is an infectious disease with limited therapeutic possibilities. Beside its epidemiological importance, MDR TB represents a problem also for long-term therapy with antituberculous drug combination and for its economical costs. Methods and Results. We evaluated retrospectively the effect of treatment of MDR TB according to the clinical, radiological and bacteriological findings of 11 patients hospitalised in our department in years 1996 to 2000. Individual chemotherapy regimens were chosen according to the susceptibility test results for the first and second-line antituberculosis drugs. Despite the fully controlled and long-term treatment, seven patients died during the regimen; in three of them the cause of death was different from MDR TB. Conclusions. Prevalence of MDR TB cases in the Czech republic has remained in the same level for several previous years and it represents about 20–30 persons. To prevent acquired resistance with its negative consequences, it would be optimal to implement the recommended standardized treatment regimens.

        Key words: multidrug resistant tuberculosis, antituberculous drugs, effect of treatment.