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Brucellar Spondylodiscitis 20 Years Post Infection

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Human brucellosis remains a neglected zoonosis with global distribution and diverse clinical manifestations. This report describes a case of brucellar spondylodiscitis in a 35-year-old female patient from Syria, residing in Brazil for seven years, with a history of brucellosis diagnosed and treated two decades earlier. The patient presented with chronic back pain, headache, and left upper limb discomfort, with no fever or weight loss. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a pathological fracture of the T8 vertebral body. Histopathological examination showed a chronic granulomatous inflammatory process with fibrosis and focal necrosis, first treated as bone tuberculosis. After laboratory confirmation of brucellosis, the patient was treated with amikacin, rifampicin, and doxycycline for nine months, showing clinical, radiological, and laboratory improvement. This case highlights the importance of considering brucellosis as a differential diagnosis for spondylodiscitis, even many years after initial infection, especially in patients with relevant epidemiological history.

Source: American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.25-0421

Authors: Marília Kanebley, Jamal Muhamad Abdul Hamid Suleiman, Suely Sanae Kashino, Rene Leandro Magalhães Rivero, Evandro Sobroza de Mello, Jorlan Fernandes, Elba Regina Sampaio de Lemos, Marcos Vinicius da Silva

Institutions: Instituto de Infectologia Emílio Ribas, Instituto Adolfo Lutz, Universidade de São Paulo, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo

Language: English

Topic: Brucella: diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment

Subfield: Small Animals

Field: Veterinary

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W7129300016

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