Brucella Induced Thyroiditis: Case Report and Literature Review

Fatani, Abrar N.; Alesa, Abdullah A.; Alfaidi, Ahmed M.; Albar, Rawia F.

Brucella Induced Thyroiditis: Case Report and Literature Review

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ King Abdulaziz University – Jeddah

² King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Science (KSAU-HS) – Jeddah

³ Assistant consultant KSAU-HS, Consultant General Pediatrics and Pediatric Pulmonology

Abstract

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that can affect multiple organs and tissues in the human body with various clinical presentations; however the thyroid gland is rarely involved. There are many species of Brucella, but only a few can cause symptomatic infections to humans, with Brucella melitenses being the most common. Here we report a case of Brucella induced thyroiditis which presented with pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO) and a neck swelling. The patient had abnormal thyroid function test and a positive Brucella serum agglutination. Early diagnosis and appropriate anti Brucella management showed great response and the patient fully recovered. we hope to shed some light on this rare complication of Brucella infection through our study. We have conducted a literature review of six cases that reported the same condition with some notable differences. We believe that it is crucial to include brucellosis in the deferential diagnosis of any patient presenting PUO especially when there is a positive history of unpasteurized dairy product consumption.

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