Infective aortitis due to Brucella melitensis

Infective aneurysms caused by Brucella sp. are extremely rare. B. suis and B. abortus have been implicated in a few cases but to our knowledge, B. melitensis has not been reported as a cause of mycotic aneurysm of the abdominal aorta. We here report the first case of this described in the English literature. The patient was successfully treated with resection of the infected aneurysm, placement of an axillo-bifemoral graft, and prolonged antibiotic treatment (doxycycline and streptomycin). Extended antimicrobial therapy and extra-anatomical bypass grafting procedures are advisable in the management of brucella infections of the abdominal aorta.