A clinical and laboratory analysis of 30 patients with brucellosis

Objective To improve our understanding of brucellosis by analyzing its epidemiological features, clinical manifestations and laboratory diagnosis. Methods Clinical and laboratory data about brucellosis patients admitted to our hospital from 2008 to 2012 were retrospectively analyzed with its relevant literature reviewed. Results The 30 brucellosis patients were manifested as fever, hyperhidrosis and weakness, and they were positive in brucella agglutination tests. Cultured venous blood or punctured fluid from 20 patients was also positive for brucella. The other accompanied symptoms and signs of the patients included cough, expectoration, headache, palpitation, arthralgia or arthroncus, hepatosplenomegaly, and abnormal liver or kidney functions. The patients made their first visits at departments of respiratory diseases, orthopedics, cardiology, neurology, hematology, nephrology, and rheumatology, besides fever clinics. Conclusion Brucellosis shows different clinical manifestations and is first diagnosed at different departments. Great attention should be paid to it by departments and laboratories of hospitals in non-pastoral areas. Blood should be cultured and brucella aggregation test should be performed as early as possible for patients with fever due to unknown reasons.