A retrospective study of factors associated with poor patient compliance with anti-TB therapy was conducted in Taiping Perak, Malaysia. 219 patients were studied. Male patients and hospital referrals were significantly more likely to default. Patients with tuberculous lymphadenitis alone had a greater rate of default, but this just failed to reach significance (0.05 < P < 0.10). Six of 7 male hospital referrals with tuberculous lymphadenitis alone defaulted. Patients treated as out-patients from the start were more compliant. Housewives were also highly compliant. It was noticed that patients who defaulted tended to do so during early stages of treatment.