This is a descriptive study of short-course chemotherapy in children with nodal tuberculosis at Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH). Between 1 August 1989 and 31 December 1997 5248 children were started on TB treatment. In the retrospective study 427 children were treated for lymph node TB up to 31 December 1996. Of these, 207 definitely completed the treatment and 24 (11.6 per cent) of them were known to have relapsed up to the end of 1997. In the prospective study 179 children with lymph node TB were enrolled between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 1997. Of these, 97 definitely completed the treatment and 10 (10.6 per cent) were known to have relapsed during a follow-up period of between 1 and 2 years.