title: Comparative analysis of tuberculous and brucellar spondylodiscitis.
abstract: Our aim was to compare the clinical, radiological and prognostic features of spontaneous spondylodiscitis secondary to tuberculosis (TS) and brucellosis (BS). This prospective study involved 41 patients diagnosed with spondylodiscitis. Of these, 18 (43.1%) had BS and 23 (56.1%) had TS. The mean age of TS patients was 52 ± 13.43 years and older than BS patients (P < 0.001). A prolonged clinical course of the disease, constitutional symptoms, lymphocytosis, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), presence of posterior vertebrae lesions and psoas abscesses were significantly more frequent in the TS group. There are significant clinical, biological and radiological differences between TS and BS. These differences permit a presumptive aetiological diagnosis and orient the initial empirical medical treatment while awaiting a final microbiological diagnosis.
authors: Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease, Van Education and Research Hospital, 65100 Van, Turkey.
authors: Ali Kutta
authors: AK
authors: Celik
authors: Adalet
authors: A
authors: Aypak
authors: Cenk
authors: C
authors: Aypak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002002:Brucella / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000150:complications*; D015299:Discitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D011379:Prognosis; D016659:Psoas Abscess / Q000150:complications; D011859:Radiography; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult