Pulmonary Involvement in Brucellosis: Case Report

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by a Gramnegative bacillus of the Brucella gender. Involvement is multisystemic primarily affecting the reticuloendothelial system, joints, heart, and kidneys. Although the disease can be spread by inhalation, pulmonary involvement is rare. A 72-year-old female patient presented with complaints of chest pain and shortness of breath. She was admitted with a preliminary diagnosis of pneumonia. She did not respond to antibiotic therapy. Computed tomography performed for the differential diagnosis of pulmonary embolism showed no evidence for thrombus, but ground glass opacities in the lingular segment of the left lung, the right middle lobe, and bilateral lower lobes. Specific antibiotic therapy was started upon detection of Brucella spp. by hemoculture. The patient's pain disappeared and no sign of venous thromboembolism was observed.