title: Clinical Manifestations in 82 Neurobrucellosis Patients from Kosovo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Central nervous system involvement is a serious complication of brucellosis with various incidence and various clinical presentations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospitalized patients in University Clinical Centre, Clinic for Infectious diseases in Prishtina, with laboratory-confirmed brucellosis, were analyzed, a brucellosis-endemic region. Among the 648 confirmed cases with brucellosis during the period 1991- 2013, 82 patients (12.65%) were diagnosed with neurobrucellosis. The clinical manifestations in patients with neurobrucellosis were evaluated and compared with brucellosis patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The major presentations among the brucellosis patients were headache, fever, sweating, nausea, weight loss and arthralgia, while from CNS predominant complains were: headache, vomiting, tremor, low back pain, hearing loss and visual disturbance. The mean age of 82 neurobrucellosis patients was 31.46 years with age distribution 12-71 years, from them 5 (6.1%), younger than 16 years, with a non-significant predominance of women (53.65%). The most common neurological findings were radiculopathies of legs (41.46%) neck rigidity (46.34%), agitation (25,6%), behavioral disorders (18.3%), disorientation (19.5%) and stroke (1.22%). Cranial nerves were involved in 20 of 82 patients (24.4%). Neurological consequences were evidenced in 5 (6.1%) patients. Three patients leave hospital with consequences of peripheral facial paresis, two with sensorineural hearing loss and one with left hemiparesis. Headache, nausea and vomiting and weight loss are significantly (p<0.001) more frequent complains in neurobrucellosis patients compare to patients with brucellosis. On the other hand, as regard to the physical findings and complications, meningeal signs and splenomegaly are significantly more frequent in neurobrucellosis (p<0.01) whereas the hepatomegaly and lymphadenopathy were more frequent (p<0.01) in brucellosis patients. Different significant correlations were observed among specific complains too.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings in regard to the specific associations of physical and clinical features in brucellosis patients in Kosovo, may serve as an indication for neurobrucellosis. In endemic areas for brucellosis patients complaining in radiculopathies, persistent headache, facial palsy, hearing loss or presenting stroke without risk factors, should be considered for screening for neurobrucellosis.
authors.affiliation: University of Prishtina, Faculty of Medicine, Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Prishtina University Clinical Centre, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Shemsedin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dreshaj
authors.affiliation: University of Prishtina, Faculty of Medicine, Clinic of Neurology, Prishtina University Clinical Centre, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Nexhmedin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shala
authors.affiliation: Primary Health Care Centre, Fushe Kosove, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Gresa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dreshaj
authors.affiliation: University of Prishtina, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Public Health, Prishtina, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Naser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ramadani
authors.affiliation: University of Prishtina, Faculty of Medicine, Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Prishtina University Clinical Centre, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Albina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ponosheci
keywords: Brucellosis; Clinical manifestations; Kosovo; Neurobrucellosis