Brucellosis physical examination

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Raviteja Guddeti, M.B.B.S. [2] Danitza Lukac Vishal Devarkonda, M.B.B.S [3]

Overview

Patients with brucellosis are usually well-appearing. Physical examination usually reveal combination of several non-specific findings.

Physical Examination

Patients with brucellosis are usually well-appearing. Physical examination usually reveal combination of several non-specific findings, which include:^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12]

Examination findings	Brucellosis physical examination
Appearance of patient	Patients are usually well-appearing
Vital Signs	Pulse rate-Normal/Tachycardia with regular rhythm, normal volume Temperature– Normal or elevated Blood pressure– Normal Respiratory rate-Normal/tachypnea (pneumonia/lung involvement) Oxygen saturation– usually normal but some cases may have low oxygen saturation (lung involvement). Blood glucose level– normal
Skin	Skin examination may be normal or reveal the following: Maculopapular rash Erythema nodosum like eruptions and ulceration Abscesses
HEENT	Eye examination is usually normal but signs of uveitis may be present in few patients
Neck	Neck examination is usually normal but cervical lymphadenopathy may be present in few patients
Lungs	Brucellosis involving lung, may reveal multiple findings depending on the kind of involvement(it could be pneumonia, bronchitis, pleural effusion or empyema or combination of these). Based on the involvement, lung examination may reveal: Increased tactile fremitus Dullness on percussion Decreased breath sounds Bronchial breath sounds Rhonchi Crackles, Rales Increased vocal fremitus
Heart	Heart examination may reveal murmurs on auscultation (endocarditis)
Abdomen	Abdominal examination may elicit: Tenderness Hepatomegaly* Splenomegaly* Lymphadenopathy*
Back	Back examination is usually normal
Genitourinary	Genitourinary examination may reveal: Inguinal lymphadenopathy Positive Prehn’s sign May be present in epididymitis Swollen testicle or testicles May be present in orchitis
Extremities	Examination of knee, hips, ankles and wrists may reveal: Fluid around a joint Warm, red, tender joints Difficulty moving a joint (called “limited range of motion”) May be present in peripheral arthritis Palpation of sacroiliac joints may reveal pain indicating sacroiliitis Positive Schober’s test(indicative of spondylitis)
Neuromuscular	Meningial signs of irritation Nuchal rigidity, Kernig’s sign and Brudzinski’s sign can be ilicited in cases with neurological involvement (meningitis or meningoencephalitis). Signs of neuropathies involving individual pheripheral nerve or cranial nerve can be ilicited
*Commonly observed

Reference

↑ Brucellosis “Dennis Kasper, Anthony Fauci, Stephen Hauser, Dan Longo, J. Larry Jameson, Joseph Loscalzo”Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, 19e Accessed on December 9th, 2017
↑ Colmenero JD, Reguera JM, Martos F, Sánchez-De-Mora D, Delgado M, Causse M; et al. (1996). “Complications associated with Brucella melitensis infection: a study of 530 cases.”. Medicine (Baltimore). 75 (4): 195–211. PMID 8699960
↑ Mantur BG, Amarnath SK, Shinde RS (2007). “Review of clinical and laboratory features of human brucellosis.”. Indian J Med Microbiol. 25 (3): 188–202. PMID 17901634
↑ Pappas G, Akritidis N, Bosilkovski M, Tsianos E (2005). “Brucellosis.”. N Engl J Med. 352 (22): 2325–36. PMID 15930423.
↑ Dean AS, Crump L, Greter H, Hattendorf J, Schelling E, Zinsstag J (2012). “Clinical manifestations of human brucellosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis”. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 6 (12): e1929. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0001929. PMC 3516581. PMID 23236528.
↑ Young EJ (1995). “Brucellosis: current epidemiology, diagnosis, and management.”. Curr Clin Top Infect Dis. 15: 115–28. PMID 7546364
↑ Aygen B, Doganay M, Sumerkan B, et al. Clinical manifestations, complications and treatment of brucellosis: a retrospective evaluation of 480 patients. Med Malad Infect 2002; 32:485.
↑ Zamani A, Kooraki S, Mohazab RA, Zamani N, Matloob R, Hayatbakhsh MR; et al. (2011). “Epidemiological and clinical features of Brucella arthritis in 24 children”. Ann Saudi Med. 31 (3): 270–3. doi:10.4103/0256-4947.81543. PMC 3119967. PMID 21623056.
↑ Mousa AM, Bahar RH, Araj GF, Koshy TS, Muhtaseb SA, al-Mudallal DS; et al. (1990). “Neurological complications of brucella spondylitis.”. Acta Neurol Scand. 81 (1): 16–23. PMID 2330811
↑ Pappas G, Bosilkovski M, Akritidis N, Mastora M, Krteva L, Tsianos E (2003). “Brucellosis and the respiratory system.”. Clin Infect Dis. 37 (7): e95–9. PMID 13130417. doi:10.1086/378125
↑ Herrick JA, Lederman RJ, Sullivan B, et al. Brucella arteritis: clinical manifestations, treatment, and prognosis. Lancet Infect Dis 2014; 14:520.
↑ Ariza J, Bosilkovski M, Cascio A, Colmenero JD, Corbel MJ, Falagas ME; et al. (2007). “Perspectives for the treatment of brucellosis in the 21st century: the Ioannina recommendations”. PLoS Med. 4 (12): e317. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0040317. PMC 2222927. PMID 18162038.

[1] Brucellosis “Dennis Kasper, Anthony Fauci, Stephen Hauser, Dan Longo, J. Larry Jameson, Joseph Loscalzo”Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, 19e Accessed on December 9th, 2017

[2] Colmenero JD, Reguera JM, Martos F, Sánchez-De-Mora D, Delgado M, Causse M; et al. (1996). “Complications associated with Brucella melitensis infection: a study of 530 cases.”. Medicine (Baltimore). 75 (4): 195–211. PMID 8699960

[3] Mantur BG, Amarnath SK, Shinde RS (2007). “Review of clinical and laboratory features of human brucellosis.”. Indian J Med Microbiol. 25 (3): 188–202. PMID 17901634

[4] Pappas G, Akritidis N, Bosilkovski M, Tsianos E (2005). “Brucellosis.”. N Engl J Med. 352 (22): 2325–36. PMID 15930423.

[pmid23236528-5] Dean AS, Crump L, Greter H, Hattendorf J, Schelling E, Zinsstag J (2012). “Clinical manifestations of human brucellosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis”. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 6 (12): e1929. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0001929. PMC 3516581. PMID 23236528.

[6] Young EJ (1995). “Brucellosis: current epidemiology, diagnosis, and management.”. Curr Clin Top Infect Dis. 15: 115–28. PMID 7546364

[7] Aygen B, Doganay M, Sumerkan B, et al. Clinical manifestations, complications and treatment of brucellosis: a retrospective evaluation of 480 patients. Med Malad Infect 2002; 32:485.

[pmid21623056-8] Zamani A, Kooraki S, Mohazab RA, Zamani N, Matloob R, Hayatbakhsh MR; et al. (2011). “Epidemiological and clinical features of Brucella arthritis in 24 children”. Ann Saudi Med. 31 (3): 270–3. doi:10.4103/0256-4947.81543. PMC 3119967. PMID 21623056.

[9] Mousa AM, Bahar RH, Araj GF, Koshy TS, Muhtaseb SA, al-Mudallal DS; et al. (1990). “Neurological complications of brucella spondylitis.”. Acta Neurol Scand. 81 (1): 16–23. PMID 2330811

[10] Pappas G, Bosilkovski M, Akritidis N, Mastora M, Krteva L, Tsianos E (2003). “Brucellosis and the respiratory system.”. Clin Infect Dis. 37 (7): e95–9. PMID 13130417. doi:10.1086/378125

[11] Herrick JA, Lederman RJ, Sullivan B, et al. Brucella arteritis: clinical manifestations, treatment, and prognosis. Lancet Infect Dis 2014; 14:520.

[pmid18162038-12] Ariza J, Bosilkovski M, Cascio A, Colmenero JD, Corbel MJ, Falagas ME; et al. (2007). “Perspectives for the treatment of brucellosis in the 21st century: the Ioannina recommendations”. PLoS Med. 4 (12): e317. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0040317. PMC 2222927. PMID 18162038.

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Brucellosis physical examination

Overview

Physical Examination

Reference

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