ABSTRACT
Serum Tube Agglutination (STA) test was used as routine test to detect antibrucellar antibodies in diagnosis of brucella infection in sera (n = 75) and CSF (n = 14) from 78 patients with neurological (n = 60) and cardiological (n = 15) complaints in whom brucellosis was suspected, over a period of two and a half years from January, 1997 to July 1999. Seven (neurological-six and cardiac-one) serum samples (9.33%) were positive by STA, while none of the CSFs were positive. STA titres ranged from 1:10 to 1:1280. We report the findings of these seven cases with neurological and cardiac manifestations in whom STA were found positive. Treatment was accomplished in two cases (neurological-one and cardiac-one), while remaining five cases either were treated empirically with antitubercular treatment or lost for follow up. However these reported cases should alert clinicians to investigate for Brucella infection in cases of pyrexia of unknown origin and this condition in cases of chronic meningitis with unproven aetiology.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Antibodies, Bacterial/blood , Brucella abortus/immunology , Brucellosis/diagnosis , Endocarditis, Bacterial/blood , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
Se hizo un estudio retrospectivo sobre la endocarditis infecciosa en dos hospitales de la ciudad de Medellin, con criterios para inclucion estrictamente definidos, con el objeto de evaluar la forma de presentacion de la enfermedad y analizar algunos aspectos relacionados con el estudio y manejo de estos pacientes. Se encuentran caracteristicas que diferencia la presentacion de la enfermedad en nuestro medio con respecto a lo informado en la literatura, encontrandose mayor incidencia en personas jovenes, con frecuencia alta de antecedentes cardiovasculares y cifras de mortalidad y endocarditis protesica similares a la encontrada en la documentacion existente. Se establecen las caracteristicas generales de la enfermedad en nuestro medio y se plantean sugerencias en cuanto a diagnostico y tratamiento.