Brucella Spondylitis: Current Knowledge and Recent Advances
Nikolaos Spernovasilis, Apostolos H. Karantanas, Ioulia Markaki, Afroditi Konsoula, Zisis Ntontis, Christos Koutserimpas, Kalliopi Alpantaki
Abstract
The most prevalent zoonotic disease is brucellosis, which poses a significant threat for worldwide public health. Particularly in endemic areas, spinal involvement is a major source of morbidity and mortality and can complicate the course of the disease. The diagnosis of Brucella spondylitis is challenging and should be suspected in the appropriate epidemiological and clinical context, in correlation with microbiological and radiological findings. Treatment depends largely on the affected parts of the body. Available treatment options include antibiotic administration for an adequate period of time and, when appropriate, surgical intervention. In this article, we examined the most recent data on the pathophysiology, clinical manifestation, diagnosis, and management of spinal brucellosis in adults.