[Sacroiliitis caused by Brucella melitensis]

Abstract

Technetium scintigraphy established sacroiliitis in a 21-year-old man who had complained of hip pain for two weeks. Brucella melitensis was cultured from hip-joint fluid. He was treated with 160 mg trimethoprim and 800 mg sulphamethoxazole, three times daily for six weeks. He also had prophylactically 600 mg rifampicin daily by mouth for the last three weeks. He was symptom-free four weeks after onset of treatment. At follow-up one year later there was no sign of recurrence. Brucella titres and blood sedimentation rate were within normal limits.