Neurobrucellosis: diagnostic and clinical management of an atypical case

Abstract

Brucellosis is the most common zoonosis in the world and it is caused by ingestion of foods contaminated by Brucella spp. that is able to avoid the immune system and can involve every organ system. The bacteria may affect the Central Nervous System (CNS) directly or using phagocytic cells with the way of the "Trojan Horse Model". Meningitis is the most common form of neuro-brucellosis (NB) but other neurological manifestation, with variable onset, such as severe encephalic involvement, neuropathy, vascular damage, radiculitis and hydrocephalus might happened. NB may manifest itself with an acute or chronic onset and could be the only manifestation of the infection or appearance during the systemic disease. Frequently the diagnosis might be very difficult and the clinical characteristics and the microbiological demonstration in the blood and in the CSF are necessary. The prognosis of brucella meningitis is generally better than other forms of chronic meningitis except for encephalitis or spinal cord involvement. The treatment is based on the combination of two or three antibiotics to achieve normalization of the cerebrospinal fluid parameters otherwise relapse are relatively frequent. We describe an atypical case of brucellar meningitis with many stroke-like signs, think as recurrent cerebrovascular events and treated with antithrombotic therapy, but without meningeal syndrome.

Keywords: Brucellosis; Central Nervous System; Neuro-brucellosis.