Acute Brucellosis with a Guillain-Barre Syndrome-Like Presentation: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Introduction: Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that can affect the central and peripheral nervous system and it has variable neurological manifestation. However, brucellosis infection that presents with acute peripheral neuropathy mimicking Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is rarely reported in the literature. Objective and method: We report a 56-year-old man who was initially diagnosed with GBS, and then he was confirmed to have acute Brucella infection. We also did a systematic literature review to study the natural history and management of previously reported cases of brucellosis that presented with manifestations consistent with GBS. Results: We found 19 (including our patient) cases of brucellosis that presented with GBS-like manifestations. The age range was 9–62 years. Eight (42.1%) patients had a history of fever. Seven (36.8%) patients had no constitutional symptoms. Five (26.3%) patients had splenomegaly. Brucella serological tests were positive in all patients, while blood Brucella culture was positive in three (37.5%) out of eight patients. Albuminocytological dissociation was present in nine (64.3%) out of 14 patients. Nerve conduction studies and electromyography were consistent with demyelination polyneuropathy in eight (42.1%) patients, with axonal polyneuropathy in six (31.6) patients, and with mixed axonal and demyelinating polyneuropathy in one (5.3%) patient. Spine MRI showed root enhancement in three (42.9%) patients. Conclusion: In regions endemic with brucellosis, acute peripheral neuropathy presentation may warrant investigations for Brucella infection.