title: Short-course treatment in neurobrucellosis: a study in Iran.
abstract: Neurobrucellosis is a rare neurological complication of brucellosis. This report describes 19 patients of neurobrucellosis and they accounted for 8% of all cases of brucellosis admitted to Shiraz University Hospitals over a period of eight years. Headache, fever, fatigue, drowsiness and neck stiffness were the common clinical features. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) showed pleocytosis in 100%, elevated protein levels in 89% and low glucose level in 47% of the patients. All the patients improved with specific antibiotic treatment. Of the 19 patients, 10 (52.5%) patients received treatment for 8 to 28 weeks. Duration of antibiotic treatment was: 8-14 weeks in 8 (42%) patients; 24-28 weeks in 2 (10.5%) patients; 6 months in 7 (37%) patients; 12 months in 1 (5.3%) patient; and 18 months in 1 (5.3%) patient. Clinicians in endemic areas should consider the likelihood of neurobrucellosis in patients with unexplained neurological and psychiatric symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran.
authors.forename: Kamyar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asadipooya
authors.forename: Amirreza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dehghanian
authors.forename: Gholam Hossein Ranjbar
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Omrani
authors.forename: Farhad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abbasi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D007964:Leukocytosis / Q000209:etiology; D020852:Lyme Neuroborreliosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005947:Glucose