Pulmonary involvement in brucellosis

Objectives. Pulmonary involvement is a rare manifestation of brucellosis. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and forms of pulmonary involvement in the course of brucellosis. Methods. A prospective study was carried out in 110 patients with brucellosis. All the patients were evaluated with their pulmonary symptoms, physical examination and chest radiography. If pulmonary pathologic findings were present, patients underwent additional diagnostic evaluations including computerized tomography of the thorax and pulmonary function tests. Results. From 110 patients, 11 (six females and five males) were diagnosed as pulmonary brucellosis. Eight of 11 patients had pulmonary symptoms including cough, sputum and dyspnoea. Radiologic findings were parenchymal nodules, lobar pneumonia, paratracheal lymphadenopathy and pleural effusion. At the end of the treatment of brucellosis, clinical findings of pulmonary involvement were recovered in all patients except four dyspnoeic patients who had coexisting COPD. Radiological findings were normal in three and improved in four patients after 6 months of the treatment. Conclusions. Pulmonary involvement is a rare event in the course of brucellosis. But especially in endemic regions, brucellosis should never be forgotten as a causative agent in patients with pulmonary symptoms. (C) 2004 The British Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.