Clinical and Para-clinical Features of Brucellosis With and Without Spondylodiscitis

Background: Brucellosis is a common zoonotic disease with protean clinical manifestations. Osteoarticularinvolvement is the most common complication of the disease. This study aimed to compare the clinical andpara-clinical manifestations of brucellosis among the patients with and without spondylodiscitis.Methods: In this comparative and cross-sectional study, ۱۳۵ patients having brucellosis with and withoutspondylodiscitis and admitted to Sina hospital in Hamadan, Iran from March ۲۰۰۹ to March ۲۰۱۴ wereincluded. Clinical and para-clinical data of the patients were obtained from their medical records in the hospitalbased on a designed checklist.Results: Thirty-five patients having brucellar spondylodiscitis (BS) with the mean age of ۵۵.۶۰ ± ۱۴.۳۱ years,and ۱۰۰ patients having brucellosis without BS with the mean age of ۴۳.۲۷ ± ۱۸.۳۵ years were examined.A significant difference was found between the mean age of the patients with spondylodiscitis and that ofthose without spondylodiscitis (P < ۰.۰۰۱). All patients with spondylodiscitis complained of back pain andvertebral tenderness, while ۶۰% of the patients without BS suffered from back pain but experienced no vertebraltenderness (P = ۰.۰۰۳). The most common vertebral involvement in spinal MRI of the patients with BS was L۴-L۵(۴۵.۷%). Patients with spondylodiscitis had more increased ESR and CRP than those without spondylodiscitis(P < ۰.۰۰۱).Conclusion: It is recommended that Brucellar spondylodiscitis be considered in the differential diagnosis of thepatients with prolonged fever, back pain, and vertebrae tenderness in the endemic areas.

Keywords:

Brucellosis , Spondylodiscitis , Clinical manifestations