Presentation of a Patient With Neurobrucellosis: A Case Report in Iran

Abstract

Background: Brucellosis is a common zoonotic infection caused by the bacterial genus Brucella. It is one of the infectious diseases transmissible between humans and animals, and its clinical manifestations are very diverse and misleading. One of these manifestations is central nervous system involvement, which occurs in various forms. Better and more accurate identification of these diverse clinical manifestations can help physicians in the timely diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Case Presentation: In this study, we introduce a sixteen-year-old patient who complained of fever, low back pain, dizziness, and headache for two months. A detailed history of our patient revealed previous contact with sheep and consumption of unpasteurized milk. Further clinical tests confirmed the diagnosis of Brucella meningitis in this patient. Conclusion: Patients with brucellosis can show a wide variety of clinical symptoms, and knowing these different clinical forms can help physicians in the early diagnosis of the disease. In a country like Iran, where brucellosis is endemic, any patient who presents with complex and unexplained neurological complaints, especially those with a history of brucellosis, should be considered for neurobrucellosis.