Ocular Manifestations Associated with Brucellosis: A 26-Year Experience in Peru

• Published in: Clinical infectious diseases 2008-05, Vol.46 (9), p.1338-1345
• Main Authors: Rolando, Isaias, Olarte, Liset, Vilchez, Gustavo, Lluncor, Marina, Otero, Larissa, Paris, Mark, Carrillo, Carlos, Gotuzzo, Eduardo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Articles and Commentaries; Bacteria; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Blindness - etiology; Blindness - pathology; Brucella; Brucella melitensis; Brucellosis; Brucellosis - complications; Chronic diseases; Clinical medicine; Eye diseases; Eye Diseases - etiology; Eye Diseases - pathology; Eyes & eyesight; Female; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical diagnosis; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Nervous system diseases; Panuveitis; Panuveitis - etiology; Panuveitis - pathology; Peru; Posterior uveitis; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Uveitis; Uveitis - etiology; Uveitis - pathology; Visual acuity
• ISSN: 1058-4838; 1537-6591
• DOI: 10.1086/529442

Background. Brucellosis has unusual clinical manifestations. Ocular involvement caused by brucellosis remains poorly recognized in areas in which brucellosis is endemic. Methods. A prospective study was performed to evaluate patients attending the Instituto de Medicina Tropical “Alexander von Humboldt” and the Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia (Lima, Peru) from January 1980 through December 2005 who received a diagnosis of brucellosis with ocular involvement. Diagnosis was made on the basis of clinical findings as well as agglutinations and/or culture positive for Brucella melitensis. Results. During a period of 26 years, 1551 patients with brucellosis were seen, including 52 patients with ocular brucellosis. We found that 7 (0.7%) of 965 patients with acute brucellosis and 45 (7.9%) of 570 patients with chronic brucellosis had ocular brucellosis (P