Brucella Pneumonia Mimicking Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Case Report

Brucellosis is a zoonotic infection prevalent in certain regions. It typically presents with nonspecific symptoms but can also cause focal organ involvement, including the musculoskeletal, neurological, or pulmonary systems. Herein, we present a case of a 31-year-old male patient who presented with a 5-day history of fever and cough. Chest X-ray revealed bilateral patchy consolidations, initially suggesting an infectious etiology such as tuberculosis. Given the patient's background, further investigation confirmed brucellosis-related pneumonia, an uncommon pulmonary manifestation of brucellosis. Additional workup excluded tuberculosis as a possible cause for the lung findings. He was treated with doxycycline and rifampin, leading to symptom resolution and improvement on follow-up imaging. This case underscores the importance of considering brucellosis in the differential diagnosis of atypical pneumonia in patients from endemic regions.