Ibrahim Ibrahim I, Aqeeli Mohammed O, Aljabri Mead R, Tajuddin Ameen K
From the Department of Neuroscience, King Fahad Hospital, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Neurosciences (Riyadh). 2025 Jul;30(3):241-246. doi: 10.17712/nsj.2025.3.20240081.
Brucellosis is a zoonotic infection that affects 500,000 individuals each year worldwide. Neurological complications occur in up to 5% of cases, and ocular involvement is rare. This report describes the case of a 26-year-old woman with progressive lower limb weakness and significant ambulatory impairment following two months of headache, nausea, vomiting, and visual disturbances. The patient had a history of urinary incontinence, lower back pain, and raw goat milk consumption. Clinical examination revealed bilateral papilledema and muscle weakness. Positive Brucella culture, abnormalities in the cerebrospinal fluid, and magnetic resonance imaging findings confirmed the presence of neurobrucellosis. Treatment with antibiotics led to minimal initial improvement. However, significant recovery was observed five months post treatment initiation. This case highlights the importance of considering neurobrucellosis in endemic regions and underscores its distinct clinical and radiological features. Early recognition and treatment are crucial for reducing morbidity.
布鲁氏菌病是一种人畜共患感染病,全球每年有50万人受其影响。神经并发症发生率高达5%,眼部受累情况罕见。本报告描述了一名26岁女性的病例,该患者在出现两个月的头痛、恶心、呕吐及视觉障碍后,逐渐出现下肢无力并伴有严重的行动障碍。患者有尿失禁、下背痛及饮用生羊奶的病史。临床检查发现双侧视乳头水肿及肌肉无力。布鲁氏菌培养呈阳性、脑脊液异常以及磁共振成像结果证实了神经型布鲁氏菌病的存在。抗生素治疗初期改善甚微。然而,在开始治疗五个月后观察到显著恢复。该病例凸显了在流行地区考虑神经型布鲁氏菌病的重要性,并强调了其独特的临床和放射学特征。早期识别和治疗对于降低发病率至关重要。