Spastic paraparesis and sensorineural hearing loss in a patient with neurobrucellosis

Abstract

Objective: Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease and still a major public health problem in many geographic areas including Mediterranean basin and Middle East. Brucellosis causes multisystemic involvement and although rare central nervous system involvement causes serious manifestations. Neurobrucellosis occurs less than 5% of patients and presents with meningitis,encephalitis, myelitis, myelopathy, stroke, paraplegia, radiculoneuritis, intracerebral abscess, epidural abscess, demyelination and cranial nerve involvement or any combination of these manifestations. Spastic paraparesis and the sensorineural involvement are rarely reported in the literature.

Methods: Herein we present a 28 years-old man with spastic paraparesis and sensorineural hearing loss due to neurobrucellosis.

Results: The patient was treated with antibiotics combination for 6 months and underwent rehabilitation program.

Conclusions: Neurobrucellosis should be ruled out in patients with unexplained neurological symptoms and/or sensorineuralhearing loss particularly in those living in endemic areas.