Radiological changes of bones and joints in brucellosis

Twenty-six patients with radiographic changes of brucella spondylitis and arthritis were studied. The diagnosis was based on clinical and serological tests. Of those 26 patients [12 males,14 females], the following spinal involvement was observed: lumbar [15] patients, dorsal [1] patient, dorsolumbar patient [1] patient, cervical [6] patients. Periphral joint involvement included: Knees [3 patients], hips [2 patients], shoulder [1 patient], unilateral sacroilitis [5 patients], multiple abnormalities [10 patients The main changes were destructive lesions in the vertebral bodies [usually marginal] with characteristic sclerotic reactions around them and proliferative marginal new bone formation; the disc space was usually narrow