title: Brucellosis of the spine: evaluation of the clinical, laboratory, and radiological findings of 14 patients.
abstract: In this study, we aimed to assess the clinical, laboratory and radiological findings of vertebral involvement in brucellosis. Fourteen patients diagnosed with spondylitis and spondylodiscitis due to brucellosis were included in the study. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or scintigraphy were used to diagnose the vertebral involvement. The control group consisted of 20 patients with brucellosis but no vertebral involvement. The clinical, laboratory, and radiological findings of both groups were compared. The prevalence of vertebra involvement in brucellosis was found to be 7.5%. Of the 14 study patients, two had thoracic, ten had lumbar, and two had both lumbar and sacral vertebral involvement. The associated pathologies were spondylodiscitis, narrowing in the intervertebral space, inflammation or abscess formation in the paravertebral soft tissue, and osteophyte formation. None of the patients had a collapsed vertebral body, angulation deformity, or inflammation in the epidural space. In conclusion, the possibility of vertebral involvement should be remembered in chronic brucellosis, particularly in elderly patients who present with back pain or tenderness over the spine. A high index of suspicion and clinical, laboratory, and radiological examinations help confirm the diagnosis of vertebral involvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Bacteriology, Gaziantep University School of Medicine, 27070, Gaziantep, Turkey. mnamiduru@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Namiduru
authors.forename: Ilkay
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karaoglan
authors.forename: Savas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gursoy
authors.forename: Nurhayat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bayazit
authors.forename: Akif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sirikci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002003:Brucella abortus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015299:Discitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D013166:Spondylitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed