Related Experiment Videos
[Febrile syndrome: myocarditis and brucellosis]
M Villaverde1, L Gurini, A González
1Servicio de Clínica Médica, Hospital Nacional Alejandro Posadas, Haedo, Provincia de Buenos Aires.
Medicina
|January 1, 1995
Summary
This case study highlights brucellosic myocarditis, an uncommon cardiac complication of brucellosis. Early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics led to significant improvement in the patient
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Hepatology
Background:
- Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease with diverse clinical manifestations.
- Cardiac involvement in brucellosis, particularly myocarditis, is rare and often occurs without endocarditis.
Observation:
- A 20-year-old male presented with prolonged fever, weight loss, and severe cardiac failure (NYHA Class IV).
- Echocardiography revealed cardiomegaly without valvular abnormalities.
- Liver biopsy confirmed granulomatous hepatitis with focal necrosis.
Findings:
- Elevated serum agglutination titers for Brucella (1/250, rising to 1/4000) and positive complement fixation (1/40) confirmed the diagnosis.
- Treatment with rifampin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resulted in resolution of fever and improvement of cardiac function.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of considering brucellosis in patients with unexplained fever, hepatitis, and cardiac dysfunction.
- Brucellosic myocarditis is a rare but treatable complication of brucellosis.
- This report represents the first case in Argentina and one of the few globally in adult patients, emphasizing the need for increased awareness.