Spinal Brucellosis

Abstract

The findings in 44 patients with back pain and brucellosis are described. Radiological changes tended to occur in older patients with a longer duration of disease. The younger patients more often experienced an acute arthritis with sacroiliitis resembling a reactive disease. Bone scanning was more sensitive than radiographs, particularly in detecting acute sacroiliitis and hip involvement. The lumbar spine was the most frequently involved site although no part of the spine was spared. Extensive destruction of a vertebral body with little involvement of the adjacent vertebrae, lower lumbar spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis, and discitis with calcification were striking radiological findings hitherto undescribed in brucellosis. Computerized axial tomography (CAT) scanning revealed vertebral-arch destruction in three cases of spondylolisthesis. Circumferential sclerosis of the vertebral bodies was another CAT-scan finding.

Paravertebral abscess formation and knee arthritis due to Brucellosis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis

“…3,6,7 Spondylitis is one of the most frequently a ected sites in adults, accounting for between 20% to 60% of osteoarticular complications, the lumbar segment being the most commonly a ected level, varying in frequency from 44% to 76% according to di erent studies. 6,8 ± 10 Although brucella spondylitis is considered a mild form of infectious spondylitis in some reports, 11,12 in others, and in our case report, it caused highly destructive lesions. 5,13 To our knowledge our case is the ®rst reported case in which two di erent diseases, brucellosis and RA are associated.…”

Management of spinal brucellosis and outcome of rehabilitation

“…5 In brucellosis, back pain is one of the most common symptoms. 6 It may sometimes manifest as signs similar to lumbar discus lesions. These signs may result from the compression of spinal cord with soft tissue lesions as well as from in¯ammatory reactions of the discus to the disease at early stages.…”

“…4 Posterior elements of the spine are rarely involved. 4,6 Eventually, the spine stabilises with marked sclerosis and bony ankylosis in the majority of the cases. 4,5 Our experience with spinal brucellosis has been reviewed in an attempt to clarify issues such as diagnostic guidelines, treatment regimens, and e ect of rehabilitation on outcome.…”

Brucellar Spine Infection-Four Case Reports-

“…[10][11][12]16,17,20) The causative agents of brucellosis are hosted by domestic animals: Brucella melitensis in goats, B. abortus in cattle, B. suis in swine, and B. canis in dogs. 6,20,24) The organism is transmitted to human beings by consuming contaminated milk products or handling infected animals and may persist for many years.…”

“…Although involvement of the spine may have widely variable and nonspecific manifestations, more widespread use of current diagnostic studies such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has allowed more accurate and frequent detection of spinal brucellosis. 6,10,12,13,17,22) In this study, we present our experience of spinal brucellosis in four cases treated in our institution over a period of 5 years.…”