No abstract available.
Acute Disease ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use ; Anticoagulants/therapeutic use ; Brucellosis/*complications/diagnosis/drug therapy/microbiology/transmission ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Thrombophlebitis/etiology ; Treatment Outcome ; Venous Thrombosis/diagnosis/drug therapy/*etiology

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using the data of all patients hospitalized for TS and BS in the infectious diseases department between 1991 and 2018. Results: Among a total of 117 patients, 73 had TS (62.4%) and 44 had BS (37.6%). Females were significantly more affected with TS than males (56.2% vs. 22.7%, p<0.001). Fever (72.7% vs. 45.2%, p=0.004) and sweating (72.7% vs. 47.9%, p=0.009) were significantly more frequent among patients with BS. The median erythrocyte sedimentation rate was significantly higher in the TS group (median, 70 mm/hr; interquartile range [IQR], 45–103 mm/hr) than in the BS group (median, 50 mm/hr; IQR, 16–75 mm/hr) (p=0.003). Thoracic involvement was significantly more frequent in the TS group (53.4% vs. 34.1%, p=0.04), whereas lumbar involvement was significantly more frequent in the BS group (72.7% vs. 49.3%, p=0.01). Initial imaging findings revealed significantly higher frequencies of posterior vertebral arch involvement, vertebral compaction, and spinal cord compression in the TS group. Percutaneous abscess drainage (20.5% vs. 2.3%, p=0.005) and surgical treatment (17.8% vs. 2.3%, p=0.01) were more frequently indicated in the TS group, with a significant difference. Conclusions A combination of clinical, laboratory, and radiological features can be used to distinguish between TS and BS while these patients await diagnosis confirmation.