Skeletal Involvement of Brucella melitensis in Children: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Pediatric infectious diseases
• Rheumatology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Brucellosis is a complex infectious disease with diverse clinical presentations, often including fever and joint pain.
• Skeletal system involvement is a common manifestation of brucellosis, particularly in children residing in endemic areas.
• There is ongoing debate regarding the primary sites of skeletal involvement, specifically sacroiliac versus peripheral joints.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and evaluate published literature on bone involvement in pediatric Brucella melitensis infections.
• To clarify the patterns and common sites of skeletal involvement in children with brucellosis caused by Brucella melitensis.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of published articles.
• Focus on studies describing bone involvement in pediatric patients.
• Inclusion of articles specifically addressing Brucella melitensis infections.

Main Results:

• Skeletal involvement in pediatric brucellosis ranges from 6.4% to 73.5% of cases.
• Peripheral joint involvement is often monoarticular in children.
• The most frequently affected joint in pediatric brucellosis remains a subject of discussion.

Conclusions:

• Brucellosis should be considered in febrile children presenting with systemic symptoms and joint complaints, especially in endemic regions.
• Brucella melitensis is a significant cause of skeletal brucellosis in children in the studied region.
• Further research is needed to definitively establish the most commonly affected peripheral joint in pediatric skeletal brucellosis.