title: Clinical manifestations, complications, and treatment of brucellosis: evaluation of 72 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Brucellosis is an important disease in developing countries. We aimed to determine the epidemiologic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of brucellosis, which still has a high morbidity in Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two patients with brucellosis, monitored at our clinic from January 2004 to July 2010, were reviewed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average age was determined to be 44.8 ± 18 years, and 40 of the patients were female (55.6%). The most frequent transmission route was the use of raw milk and dairy products, in 45 of the patients (62.5%). The most frequent complaints were joint pain, high fever, weakness, low back pain, and gastrointestinal symptoms, whereas the most frequent physical examination findings were fever, osteoarticular involvement, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, and lymphadenopathy. All of the patients were positive for Rose Bengal testing. The standard tube agglutination titer was 1/160 or higher in 64 (88.9%) patients. Brucella melitensis was isolated from blood cultures of 13 (18.1%) patients and bone marrow cultures of 7 (9.7%) patients. Complications of sacroiliitis in 6 (8.3%), spondylodiscitis in 4 (5.6%), endocarditis in 2 (2.8%), neurobrucellosis in 1 (1.4%), and epididymo-orchitis in 1 (1.4%) of the patients were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Brucellosis has various clinical presentations. It should be included in the differential diagnosis of high fever and joint pains in endemic countries.
authors.forename: Şükran
authors.initials: Ş
authors.lastname: Köse
authors.forename: Siiheyla
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Serin Senger
authors.forename: Gülgün
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Akkoçlu
authors.forename: Lütfiye
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kuzucu
authors.forename: Yildiz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ulu
authors.forename: Gürsel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ersan
authors.forename: Filiz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oğuz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D003611:Dairy Products / Q000009:adverse effects; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents