Abstract

 


Suppurative disease of the thoracal spine is a rare and serious complication of human brucellosis. We report an old lady in whom thoracal spine involved and abscesses of the paraspinal muscles occurred during acute brucellosis. Brucella melitensis was diagnosed serological and histopathological findings from biopsy of T9 spine and bone marrow biopsy from anterior superior iliac crest. After percutaneous drainage of the paraspinal abscesses a course of combined antimicrobial therapy to the patient was started. In endemic areas, brucellosis should be suspected in the evaluation of patients with unexplained supurative spine diseases and paraspinal abscesses. [Journal of Turgut Ozal Medical Center 1998;5(1):68-70]

Keywords: Brucellosis, thoracal spine, paraspinal abscesses