An electrophysiological study of peripheral polyneuropathy in brucellosis

Brucellosis is an anthropozoonotic disease with heterogeneous clinical presentations. This study aims to investigate the peripheral nervous system (PNS) involvement in brucellosis.

A total of 57 patients with brucellosis, and 42 age- and gender-matched healthy subjects were enrolled into the study. We performed motor conduction studies that included bilateral median, ulnar, tibial and peroneal nerves, and sensory nerve investigations from bilateral median, ulnar, radial, sural and medial plantar nerves.

Among patients with brucellosis, 21 had neuropathic symptoms. Of these, 9 had abnormalities in nerve conduction studies. The electromyographic testing revealed abnormalities in 2 patients without neuropathic symptoms. Overall, 11 patients (4 males, 7 females) with brucellosis (19.3%) had polyneuropathy (PNP). The mean age of patients with PNP was 52.63 ± 19.06 years, being significantly higher than those without PNP (P = 0.006). The mean duration of brucellosis was also longer in patients with PNP, but not significant. The mean distal latency (DL) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) values were almost always longer in patients with brucellosis than controls, though not statistically significant.

Our results showed that brucellosis causes clinical or subclinical peripheral PNP, and should therefore be considered as a cause of PNP, especially in endemic regions.