Isolated cervical spondylodiscitis due to brucellosis: A case report

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease, which has the potential to affect all organs and systems. It most commonly involves the musculoskeletal system and may result in sacroiliitis, spondylitis, spondylodiscitis, arthritis, osteomyelitis, tenosynovitis or bursitis. Lumbosacral region is the most commonly affected in cases of spinal complications. Involvement of the cervical region is very rare, however, when it does occur, the prognosis is worse than when it affects the lumbar region and more neurological damage is observed. Brucellosis should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with musculoskeletal complaints in regions where brucellosis is endemic. We report an unusual case of brucellar spondylodiscitis involving the cervical region and discuss this with reference to the recent literature. © Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Published by Galenos Publishing.