[Brucellosis spondilitis in a ten year boy]

Brucellosis is acute infectious disease classified as zoonosis, which can leave humans with chronic damages and disability. It can appear as sporadic cases or a smaller epidemic anywhere in the world but it is more common in some areas and there it presents significant public health issue. Clinical picture is very variegated. A long period of latency is possible, unnoticed asymptomatic start or forms with mild clinical picture up to the forms with per acute septic-toxic shock and possible lethal outcome. Symptoms of general infectious syndrome, wave like (undulating) temperature, profuse night sweat, muscle, bone and joint pain can be considered to be characteristic. Diagnosis is made based on epidemiological data, clinical findings, microbiological and serological tests. Differentially diagnostic all long-lasting febrile diseases may be considered and disease with neuralgic and arthralgic syndromes. Therapy includes antibiotics and prevention implies sanitary veterinary control, food control and measures of professional protection.

This paper descriptively describes clinical course of the disease in ten year old boy with brucellosis spondylitis.

Ten year old boy was hospitalized for febrile condition and acute pain in back and abdomen of unknown etiology. We did diagnostic and therapeutic treatment with multidisciplinary approach and due to information on previous cases of brucellosis in family we also added tests to brucellosis. Diagnosis of brucellosis spondylitis is made based on MRI of lumbosacral spine and is confirmed with positive serological tests and positive blood cultures to Brucella melitensis. The boy had no other localized foci of the disease in other organs or systems. Etiological treatment was done in accordance to recommended antimicrobic scheme. A complete recovery was achieved with further need for observation of condition and Elisa titer to this agent.

Osteoarticular form of brucellosis is relatively common focal form of the disease in adult patients but not so common in children. Syndrome of acute lumbosacral pain in children is of unknown etiology and diagnostic procedures must include infectious diseases with possible osteo-articular symptoms including brucellosis.