title: An unusual complication of a common endemic disease: clinical and laboratory aspects of patients with brucella epididymoorchitis in the north of Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brucella epididymoorchitis(BEO) is a focal complication of human brucellosis and has been reported in 2-20% of patients with brucellosis. Brucellosis is an endemic disease in Iran. The incidence of the disease in this country is 34 per 100 000 per year.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a retrospective study, we identified 30 cases of Brucella epididymoorchitis in two teaching hospitals in the north of Iran during 1997-2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Epididymoorchitis occurred in 11.1% of male patients with brucellosis. The average age was 25.5 ± 12.43 years. Pain and scrotal swelling (100%) and fever (96.7%) were the most common symptoms. Different treatment regimens were administered including doxycycline plus rifampin (60%), doxycycline plus rifampin plus aminoglycoside for the first two weeks (36.6%) and doxycycline plus cotrimoxazole(3.4%). Ten percent of the patients did not respond to antibiotic therapy and required surgical drainage or orchiectomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In brucellosis endemic areas, clinicians who encounter patients with epididymoorchitis should consider the likelihood of brucellosis. A careful history and physical examination and an immediate laboratory evaluation help to make a correct diagnosis. Generally, classical therapy of brucellosis is adequate for the treatment of epididymoorchitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of infectious disease, North Iranian tropical and infectious disease research center, Mazandran university of medical sciences, Iran. eiy_iran@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Narges
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Najafi
authors.forename: Roya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ghassemian
authors.forename: Ali R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Davoody
authors.forename: Atefe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tayebi