Brucellosis in pregnancy: case reports with different outcomes in an endemic region.

Different outcomes of brucellosis in pregnancy regarding the fetus/neonate and the mother are described. Medical records of five pregnant women with brucellosis were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were treated in several departments of infectious diseases in the Republic of Macedonia between 1995 and 2009. The diagnosis of brucellosis was based on clinical findings compatible with the disease supported by detection of specific antibodies. Pregnancy outcomes in patients were as follows: spontaneous abortion, intrauterine fetal death, premature delivery in two cases (one with twin pregnancy) and term delivery. One of the women experienced relapse. Follow-up results of neonates showed no infection and their normal growth and development. Brucellosis, especially if acquired in early pregnancy, can have an impact on pregnancy outcome. In endemic regions, in pregnant women with persisting fever and unspecific manifestations one should always have in mind brucellosis. In these areas, cases with unexplained spontaneous abortion, intrauterine fetal death and premature delivery should also be investigated for brucellosis.

The influence of illness duration before diagnosis on clinical characteristics and outcome in human brucellosis.

Our study assesses the influence of illness duration before establishing the diagnosis of brucellosis and initiating therapy on patients' main clinical characteristics and outcome in an endemic area. The medical files of 297 patients with brucellosis were retrospectively analysed. They were divided into four groups according to illness duration before initiating therapy: <10 days; 11-30 days; 31-90 days; and >90 days. There were significant differences in the occurrences of fever (P = 0.019), focal forms (P = 0.026), spondylitis (P = 0.034) and therapeutic failures (P = 0.006) between the groups. Duration of >30 days before treatment initiation is responsible for more serious clinical presentation and outcome, whereas illness duration of >90 days further worsens the clinical progression in human brucellosis.

Clinical characteristics of human brucellosis in patients with various monoarticular involvements.

The aim of the study was to determine the main demographic, epidemiological, clinical characteristics, and outcome in patients with various types of brucellar monoarticular involvement. Retrospectively, we analyzed medical histories of 331 patients with brucellar monoarticular involvement who were treated at the infectious diseases departments in Prilep, Shtip, and Veles, Republic of Macedonia, during the period 1990-2012. Their data were compared accordingly to the affected joint (sacroiliac, hip, knee, ankle, wrist, and shoulder).Patients with shoulder arthritis were significantly the oldest (mean ± standard deviation [SD] 46.0 ± 14.5 years) whereas sacroiliitis and hip arthritis were present predominantly in younger patients (mean ± SD 28.7 ± 14.1 and 28.3 ± 18.3 years, respectively) (p = 0.014). Shoulder arthritis duration was significantly the longest (mean ± SD 24.5 ± 12.4 days), and wrist arthritis duration was significantly the shortest (mean ± SD 4.1 ± 2.5 days) (p < 0.001), before establishing the diagnosis of brucellosis. With appropriate treatment, the need for restitution of the joint impairment was significantly longer when sacroiliitis and hip arthritis were present (mean ± SD 32.8 ± 23.0 and 24.6 ± 12.5 days, respectively) (p < 0.001). The relapses were noted in 14.5, 14, 16.5, 5.5, 6, and 5.5 % of the patients with sacroiliitis, hip-, shoulder-, knee-, ankle-. and wrist arthritis, respectively. In endemic areas, brucellosis should be included in the differential diagnostic consideration in patients with monoarticular involvement. Knee-, ankle-, and wrist arthritis seem to be more benign and with appropriate treatment result in short duration and satisfactory outcome. On the other hand, the involvement of sacroiliac, hip-, and shoulder joint deserves more serious approach due to longer arthritis duration and higher frequency of relapses.