Cervical brucellosis mimicking cervical disc herniation.

Abstract

Brucellar spondylitis may be difficult to diagnose. Initial plain radiographs of the spine may show mild degenerative lesions. Although, magnetic resonance imaging of spine is mostly helpful to establish the disease, in some cases, it may lead to misdiagnosis. The aim of this report was to present a case of brucella infection involving the cervical spine that was falsely diagnosed and underwent to surgery for cervical disc herniation. Since the spinal form of brucellosis has no specific symptomatology, a patient has symptoms with mimicking the cervical hernia, with a history of disabling pain more severe than radicular pain, and especially who reside in countries where the disease is endemic, the brucella infection should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis and specific diagnostic investigations such as brucella agglutination tests should be made before any treatment procedure.