A patient with brucellar cervical spondylodiscitis complicated by epidural abscess.
Brucellar cervical spondylodiscitis and epidural abscess are serious medical conditions that can cause permanent neurological deficits. Fortunately, they are rare. We report a 34-year-old male patient, complaining of fever and neck pain and stiffness, with increased deep tendon reflexes. A lumbar puncture was normal. Brucella species organisms were isolated from blood cultures, and the Rose-Bengal test and the standard tube agglutination (STA) test were positive. The diagnosis was made on MRI. The patient was treated with doxycycline and rifampin daily for 16 weeks. On day 51 of treatment, the patient had no symptoms and his physical and neurological examinations were normal. His repeat cervical MRI was almost normal. The STA test was negative at week 20. It is important to consider brucellar cervical spondylodiscitis with epidural abscess in endemic regions.
Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Edirne State Hospital, 22030 Edirne, Turkey.
Alper
A
Eker
İlkay
İ
Uzunca
Özlem
Ö
Tansel
Murat
M
Birtane
D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D015299:Discitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020802:Epidural Abscess / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D012293:Rifampin / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004318:Doxycycline; D012293:Rifampin