Brucella osteomyelitis of the tibia: A case report

Brucellosis, a zoonotic disease with worldwide spread, is a common disease in Iran and is endemic in Markazi Province. Brucella osteomyelitis, on the other hand, is a rare disease. Here we reported a case of brucella osteomyelitis of the tibia following trauma. Case: The patient was a 22 year old man referring with chronic draining tibia ulcer. He had a history of trauma of the tibia, dating back to 3 years ago, for which local prosthesis had been prescribed. Later on, the prosthesis had been removed due to infection. Staining of the tissue samples indicated the presence of gram-negative coccobacill and brucella growth in the culture of excretions. This case was reported because of rare presentation of brucella and the educational implications of the patient with respect to the possibility of brucella development in chronic ulcers or prosthesis. Although uncommon, brucellosis should be regarded as a potential cause of osteomyelitis in patients with a record of physical contact with animals.