The neurological complications of brucellosis

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Infectious Diseases
• Microbiology

Background:

• Neurological complications of brucellosis are infrequently documented.
• Previous literature includes limited reports on meningoencephalitis, myelitis, and peripheral nerve involvement.
• Extradural brucellar abscesses are particularly rare, with only four cases previously published.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe recent cases of neurological brucellosis.
• To report novel findings in the cerebrospinal fluid analysis of affected patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of neurological brucellosis cases over ten years.
• Clinical case descriptions including meningoencephalitis, myelitis, peripheral nerve involvement, and extradural abscesses.
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) electrophoresis performed on patients with meningoencephalitis and meningomyelitis.

Main Results:

• Four new cases of neurological brucellosis are presented, including four extradural abscesses.
• CSF electrophoresis revealed a significant elevation of gamma globulin in cases of meningoencephalitis and meningomyelitis.
• This marked increase in CSF gamma globulin associated with neurological brucellosis is a novel finding.

Conclusions:

• Brucellosis can manifest with diverse and severe neurological complications.
• The finding of elevated gamma globulin in CSF electrophoresis offers a new diagnostic marker for neurological brucellosis.
• Further research is warranted to understand the implications of this immunological response.