[Human brucellosis in Lebanon. Clinical features and therapeutic responses in 88 patients].
OBJECTIVE
Present clinical features of brucellosis in Lebanon.


METHODS
Eighty-eight patients were seen at Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital of Beirut between 1994 and 2002. Diagnostic criteria were brucellar agglutinins at a titer; 1/160 with symptoms suggestive of brucellosis in the absence of other diagnosis and a therapeutic response.


RESULTS
Out of the 88 hospitalized patients, 11 pediatric cases are noted. The disease is acute in 58 (66%), subacute in 28 (32%) and chronic in 2. The main presenting symptoms are fever, sweating, easy fatigability and diffuse aches. Osteoarticular involvement is the most prevalent complication (28%) and spondylitis is seen in 44% of these cases. Meningoencephalitis is the most frequent neurological manifestation. Among the haematological tests, relative lymphocytosis is significantly more frequent in children than adults (73% vs 19% ; p < 0,001) and in the acute form than the subacute (36% vs 7%; p < 0,001) whereas leucocytosis is more frequent in the subacute form (21% vs 7%; p < 0,01).


CONCLUSIONS
Brucellosis is still an endemic disease in Lebanon and should be systematically evoked in the case of prolonged fever, articular and neurological manifestations.
Tohme
Aline
A
Service de Médecine interne et maladies infectieuses, Hôtel-Dieu de France (HDF), Université Saint-Joseph, Faculté de médecine, Beyrouth. atohme2@inco.com.lb
Zein
Emile
E
El Rassi
Bassam
B
Koussa
Salam
S
Nasnas
Roy
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000373:Agglutinins / Q000097:blood; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002002:Brucella / Q000276:immunology; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007861:Lebanon / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000373:Agglutinins; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents