Tuberculous and Brucellar Spondylodiscitis: Comparative Analysis of Clinical, Laboratory, and Radiological Features

Methods@#A retrospective study was conducted using the data of all patients hospitalized for TS and BS in the infectious diseases department between 1991 and 2018. @*Results@#Among a total of 117 patients, 73 had TS (62.4%) and 44 had BS (37.6%). Females were significantly more affected with TS than males (56.2% vs. 22.7%, p<0.001). Fever (72.7% vs. 45.2%, p=0.004) and sweating (72.7% vs. 47.9%, p=0.009) were significantly more frequent among patients with BS. The median erythrocyte sedimentation rate was significantly higher in the TS group (median, 70 mm/hr; interquartile range [IQR], 45–103 mm/hr) than in the BS group (median, 50 mm/hr; IQR, 16–75 mm/hr) (p=0.003). Thoracic involvement was significantly more frequent in the TS group (53.4% vs. 34.1%, p=0.04), whereas lumbar involvement was significantly more frequent in the BS group (72.7% vs. 49.3%, p=0.01). Initial imaging findings revealed significantly higher frequencies of posterior vertebral arch involvement, vertebral compaction, and spinal cord compression in the TS group. Percutaneous abscess drainage (20.5% vs. 2.3%, p=0.005) and surgical treatment (17.8% vs. 2.3%, p=0.01) were more frequently indicated in the TS group, with a significant difference. @*Conclusions@#A combination of clinical, laboratory, and radiological features can be used to distinguish between TS and BS while these patients await diagnosis confirmation.

rare cause of dysphagia in a pregnant woman: herpes simplex esophagitis

Herpes simplex esophagitis [HSE] has rarely been reported in immunocompetent individuals. In a search of Medline until October 2012, we found only one case of HSE in a pregnant female. We present the first case of HSE in a healthy 36-year-old female at 27 weeks gestation who recovered without antiviral therapy

Endocardite a Tropheryma Whippelii

Cardiac involvement in Whipple's disease is frequent. However, its clinical occurrence without gastrointestinai symploms is rarely described. Whipple's endocarditis occurs ollen in patients wilh nalive valves, without underlying, disease. It alffects frequently more than one valve h, the same patient. Its clhlical presentation is generally subacute or chronic. Fever and congestive heart failure are fickle. Histological findings on the valves suggest the diagnosis, that can be confirmed by PCR technique. Treatment must be prolonged. We report a case of Whipple's endocarditis revealad by arlerial embolisms and fever appeured 3 weeks after the onset