[Smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis, peculiarities of its frequency in Cuba 1992-2002].

The percentage increase or reduction of the number of cases of tuberculosis and the incidence rates in the periods 1992-1994 and 1994-2002 were estimated. Of the total of 11,216 cases, 9737 (86.8%) were pulmonary tuberculosis, among them 30.5% with negative smear. Only 1 279 cases (13.1%) of smear-negative culture-positive pulmonary tuberculosis were registered. 13.2% cases had extra pulmonary tuberculosis. There was an increase from 7.2 to 14.7 per 10(5) inhabitants that accounted for 24.1% in the global rate of tuberculosis incidence of 1994 compared with 1993, and of 53% in comparison with 1992 (5.8 to 14.7 per 10(5) inhabitants). A sustained reduction of 48.3% (6% per year) was observed from 1994 to 2002, but the proportions of the case categories were relatively stable. An important growth of the number and the rate of cases with smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis reported in the period 1992-1994 and a sustained decrease between 1995 and 2002 very possibly associated with the strengthening of the control measures were noticed.