Complications of Brucella Infection among Adults: An 18-Year Retrospective Evaluation

Authors: MUSTAFA ERTEK, HALİL YAZGI, AYTEN KADANALI, KEMALETTİN ÖZDEN, MEHMET AKIN TAŞYARAN

Abstract: Aim: Brucellosis is a systemic infection in which any organ or system of the body can be involved. We evaluate here complications and involvement of Brucella infection in Erzurum, Turkey. Materials and Methods: We analyzed retrospectively 216 adult (89 female and 127 male) cases of brucellosis who were diagnosed and treated in the Infectious Disease Clinic of Atatürk University Research Hospital from 1985 to 2002. The diagnosis was based on clinical findings and serologic results and/or blood culture confirmations. Results: All isolates from cultures were identified as Brucella melitensis biotype 1. Skeletal complications were the most frequent, found in 147 (68.1%) cases, followed by nervous system 9 (4.2%), cutaneous 9 (4.2%), genitourinary system 7 (5.5%), cardiovascular system 7 (3.2%), gastrointestinal system 7 (3.2%), and hematological system 6 (2.8%) complications. Conclusions: Primary health care physicians should keep in mind the clinical and laboratory findings of Brucella complications.

Keywords: Brucellosis, complication, Brucella species, diagnosis

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