[Evaluation of brucellosis patients in Trakya University Hospital]

Human brucellosis is an endemo-epidemic disease in the Trakya Region of Turkey. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the clinical, laboratory findings, therapeutic features, and prognosis of the 47 patients (49% were female, age range: 17-76 years, mean age: 45 years) with human brucellosis followed up in Trakya University Hospital between 2001-2005. The patients were categorized as acute (64%), subacute (28%) and chronic (9%) brucellosis. Complications were detected in 51% of the patients and spondylodiscitis was the most common (30%) complication. Twenty-seven percent of patients with spondylodiscitis were classified as acute, 46% were subacute, and 27% were chronic brucellosis. Other complications were sacroileitis (9%), arthritis (4%), meningitis (4%), endocarditis (2%), and orchitis (2%). Positive blood cultures were detected in 80% and 54% of acute and subacute cases, respectively, however, blood cultures were all negative in the chronic cases. Overall positive blood cultures were observed in 68% of cases. Fifty-one percent of the patients were treated with doxycycline+streptomycin, and 40% with doxycycline+rifampicin. Two patients with meningitis were treated with doxycycline+rifampicin+ceftriaxone, and one patient with endocarditis was treated with doxycycline+rifampicin+cotrimoxazole combinations. Relapse was observed in two (4%) of the patients. Since serious complications were observed in half of the brucellosis patients, combination therapies were prolonged. Complete evaluation of patients with human brucellosis requires investigation of osteoartricular complications and modification of the duration of therapy according to the existing complication.