Brucellar epididymo-orchitis: Review of 53 cases in Babol, northern Iran

Brucella epididymo-orchitis: A single-center experience with a review of the literature

Brucella epididymo-orchitis (BEO) is a rare complication of brucellosis. Despite the high incidence of brucellosis in developing countries, few case series on BEO are available. This study focuses on the clinical presentations, diagnosis, and treatment of BEO with a review of the literature. This study included consecutive BEO patients diagnosed and treated at Smart Health Tower between 2021 and 2023. The required data were retrospectively collected from patients' profiles. The BEO diagnosis was established through scrotal Doppler ultrasound in cases with a positive Rose Bengal test and positive IgG and IgM results for brucellosis, in addition to scrotal pain and swelling. This study included 11 cases whose ages ranged from 22 to 55 years. Most of the cases presented with testicular pain (72.7%), followed by fever (63.6%) and arthralgia (63.6%). The right side (54.5%) was slightly more affected than the left side (45.5%). The major abnormal laboratory finding was an elevated C-reactive protein (82%). The treatment was conservative, in which a combination of gentamicin, doxycycline, and rifampicin was administered to the patients for about 6-8 weeks. One case underwent an orchiectomy due to the abscess formation. All the patients responded well to the treatment, with no recurrence. In the Middle East, brucellosis remains a concerning infectious disease. Early diagnosis, aimed at preventing abscess formation and other complications, takes first priority to avoid invasive interventions.

Early predictors of Brucella epididymo-orchitis

Introduction

Epididymo-orchitis (EO) is a common urological condition. In endemic areas, EO may be the presenting picture of brucellosis. Early suspicion and proper diagnosis is necessary for patient recovery.

Objective

The aim of our study is to identify early predictors of Brucella EO.

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively collected the data of all patients who were treated at the Urology Unit, Farwaniya Hospital, with acute EO above the age of 12 years between April 2017 and February 2019. Data from electronic and hardcopy files were gathered and analyzed. The diagnosis of acute EO was based on clinical, laboratory, and radiological findings. A total of 120 patients under the diagnosis of EO, epididymitis, and orchitis were reviewed. Thirty-one patients were tested for Brucella based on the history of animal contact, ingestion of unpasteurized dairy products, or persistent fever for more than 48 h. of those patients, 11 tested positive for Brucella orchitis.

Results

A comparison between Brucella-positive and Brucella-negative patients regarding age, presence of fever, complete blood count (CBC) parameters, pyuria, and abscess formation was made. In the Brucella group, 72% of the patients had a history of animal contact compared to 33% in non-Brucella group (P = 0.006). When comparing CBC parameters in the two groups, Brucella group had statistically significant lower total leukocytic count and neutrophil count (mean ± standard deviation [SD]) 13.07 ± 4.22, 6.4 ± 9.98 versus Brucella negative group 17.35 ± 5.28, 7.8 ± 10.53, and P values were 0.037 and 0.004, respectively. Brucella group showed lymphocytosis (mean ± SD) 25.95 ± 9.78 versus non-Brucella group 13.22 ± 8.05 and P < 0.01.

Conclusion

Brucella orchitis constituted 9% of the orchitis patients treated in our hospital. Patients with a history of animal contact, EO with lymphocytosis, and relative neutropenia should raise the suspicion for Brucella orchitis in endemic areas.

Brucellar epididymo-orchitis: Symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of 50 patients in Iran

Introduction

Epididymo-orchitis (EO) is a disease of both the epididymis and ipsilateral testis. Brucellar epididymo-orchitis (BEO) is an uncommon localized infection of the testis and epididymis which occurs in about 2-14 % of all patients with brucellosis as a result of urine Brucella removal or due to blood-borne septic metastasis.

Methods

Between January 2018 and June 2021, 50 patients with fever, chills, swelling, and pain of the testicle (testicles) were referred to our center. Two approaches were used for the treatment of brucellarepididymo-orchitis among these individuals. Intravenous Gentamicin and Doxycycline were used in seven cases, while Rifampicin was added to this combination for the remaining 43 patients. Intravenous Gentamicin was administered for 7 days and the other drugs were used for 45 days. All patients were followed up for six months by monitoring the symptoms and signs of the disease.

Results

None of the patients had been diagnosed with brucellosis before referral to our clinic. 43 patients were successfully treated by. Intravenous Gentamicin, Doxycycline and Rifampicin, whereas seven patients were fully treated using. Intravenous Gentamicin and Doxycycline. The two therapeutic groups were hospitalized for 7.56 ± 3.45 (3-23) and 10.14 ± 1.77 (8-13) days, respectively. Treatment failure, drug side effects, and disease complications were not observed in any of the cases over a 6-month follow-up period.

Conclusions

Physicians should be alert regarding Brucellarepididymo-orchitis (BEO) within the differential diagnosis of nonspecific epididymo-orchitis, especially in regions where the disease is endemic. Delay in diagnosis or inappropriate management of BEO may result in complications.

Brucellar epididymo-orchitis: a retrospective study of 25 cases

Objective: Brucellosis is a multisystemic disease which may affect all organs. Epididymo-orchitis is the most common form of genitourinary involvement. The aim of this study was to present our eight-year experience regarding the management of patients with brucellar epididymo-orchitis (BEO).Materials and method: The medical records of male brucellosis patients treated in two centers, between 2010 and 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. The diagnosis of epididymo-orchitis was made when the patients had scrotal pain, swelling, and enlarged tender testicles and/or epididymis on clinical examination. Brucellosis was diagnosed with a positive standard tube agglutination test or a positive blood culture.Results: Brucellosis was diagnosed in 996 male patients. Of these patients, 25 had a diagnosis of BEO (2.5%). All BEO patients suffered from enlarged painful testicles, however, testicular complaints were the only presentation symptoms in three of them. All patients received medical treatment alone except one patient with testicular abscess who underwent surgical drainage besides medical treatment. All patients recovered completely and no relapses have been detected during six-month follow-up.Conclusion: Patients with epididymo-orchitis should be investigated for brucellosis especially in endemic regions. To our knowledge, BEO patients may present with isolated testicular symptoms that make a diagnostic challenge.

Testicular infection in brucellosis: Report of 34 cases

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

To present clinical and laboratory features, treatment options, and outcome in patients with brucellar testicular infection and to compare them with analogous in brucellar patients without testicular involvement.

METHODS

Thirty four brucellar patients with testicular infection treated in two general hospitals in the Republic of Macedonia, during the period 1998-2009, were retrospectively analyzed. Their clinical and laboratory characteristics were compared with analogous in 364 male brucellar patients without testicular infection, who were treated at the same hospitals during the same time period.

RESULTS

Brucellar testicular infection was evident in 34 (8.5%) out of 398 male patients with brucellosis. The median age of the patients was 46.5 years. In all patients testicular involvement was presented as an acute form with a median duration of 5 days (range, 2-14 days) prior to diagnosis. Twenty-three of the patients had at least one other simultaneous focal infection. After starting with the treatment testicular infection lasted a median 10 days, range 7-21 days. Brucellar patients with testicular infection when compared with other brucellar patients more frequently manifested fever (97% vs. 61%), concomitant spondylitis (32% vs. 16%), and urinary system involvement (12% vs. 2%). Also, the relapse rate in patients with testicular involvement was significantly higher (24% vs. 9%).

CONCLUSION

In endemic regions brucellosis should be taken into consideration in any patient with testicular infection. Brucellar testicular involvement is usually characterized with a severe acute clinical presentation and a high percentage of relapses which entails the need of timely recognition and proper treatment duration of at least 60 days.

Comparison of doxycycline-streptomycin, doxycycline-rifampin, and ofloxacin-rifampin in the treatment of brucellosis: a randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Traditional regimens for the treatment of brucellosis are associated with significant relapse rates. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of ofloxacin plus rifampin (OFX-RIF) versus doxycycline plus streptomycin (DOX-STR) and doxycycline plus rifampin (DOX-RIF) regimens in the treatment of brucellosis.

METHODS

Two hundred and nineteen patients with brucellosis were enrolled in a randomized clinical trial; 28 cases were withdrawn because they did not attend the follow-up. Out of 191 patients with brucellosis, 64 received OFX-RIF, 62 received DOX-RIF, and 65 patients received DOX-STR regimens. All patients were assessed during the period of therapy in the second, fourth, and sixth weeks by clinical course and were also followed up clinically and serologically for 6 months after the cessation of therapy.

RESULTS

The highest clinical response (95.4%) was observed in the DOX-STR group (p=0.009). The results of multivariate analysis indicate that treatment with DOX-STR had the least therapeutic failures among the three groups (p=0.033). Adverse reactions were seen in 16.8% of patients, but there was no significant difference among the three groups (p=0.613). The lowest relapse rate (4.6%) was observed in the DOX-STR group (p=0.109).

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that the DOX-STR combination should remain the first-line regimen for the treatment of brucellosis in our region; we recommend DOX-RIF and OFX-RIF combinations as the second-line regimens.