Evaluation of under 12 year-old patients with malta fever In Tehran Children Medical center & Amirkola Children Hospital, Babol-1995-99

Background and Malta fever is an infectious disease caused by brucella bacteria in humen and animals and it is one of the endemic diseases in Ïran which can causes different clinical manifestations and sever complications like meningitis, endocarditis, nephritis and pancytopenia specially in children. Çansidering the incidence of malta fever in Ïran, specially in our region, we performed this study in children under 12 years of age on the bases of clinical findings, methods of laboratory findings and appopriate line of treatment. This case series descriptive study was conducted on the bases of data collected from 100 admitted patients with positive clinical sign,and specific blood culture or positive serological tests in the form of census from Tehran children medical center and Âmirkola children hospital in babol. 93% of the patients had 10 years old of age or less. The male to female ratio was1.6. Fever & knee pain was seen in 97% and 72% of them respectively. 56% noted a history of dairy products usage. ËSR was less than 50 unit in 96%. Ât last 96% of the patients improved by therapeutic regimen of cotrimoxazole(6wks) and Gentamicin (2wk). Çonclusion: Âccording to our results, the disease is common under 10 year-old and is seen in the boys more than the girls. Fever & knee pain are of the most common clinical manifestations. More than half of the patients noted the history of dairy products usage. So Malta fever have to be considered as a differential diagnosis for the patients with these manifestations and low ËSR rate. Âny way,the patients had a good respons to cotrimoxazol and gentamicin regimen.