Pulmonary Brucellosis in Xinjiang, China: A Retrospective Study of 38 Cases and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Background: Pulmonary brucellosis (PB) is a unique infection caused by Brucella and it is challenging to diagnose PB accurately for its diverse clinical manifestations. We tried to summarize PB’s features to enhance our awareness of it and offer differential diagnoses in endemic zones by evaluating their demographic characteristics, clinic data, and imaging findings.Methods: The demographic characteristics, clinic data and the imaging findings of 38 patients with PB from January 2011 to January 2020 in Xinjiang Medical University Affiliated First Hospital were presented. Results: The median age were 51 years. The most common clinical manifestations were fever (73.7%). The laboratory data decreased significantly, containing hematocrit (84.2%), hemoglobin (78.9%), red blood cell count (65.8%), eosinophilic count (47.3%). On computed tomography (CT), 27 patients had nodules, 23 (60.5%) interstitial infiltration, 16 (42.1%) consolidation, 15 (39.5%) patchy shadow, and 7 (18.4%) atelectasis. 11 patients had pleural thickening and 10 (26.3%) patients suffered from hydrothorax. 20 (52.6%) patients had lymphadenectasis in the hilum of lung or mediastinum, three pericardial effusion, and 1 pericardial thickening. Conclusion: PB should not be excluded when a patient has chest radiologic abnormalities, meanwhile complain of an atypical high fever and fatigue, especially in the epidemic region.