Neurobrucellosis complicated with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in a young Syrian male: a case report

Introduction and importanceNeurobrucellosis occurs when Brucella affects the nervous system and it has several presentations. One of its rarest complications is cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST).Case presentation:A 16-year-old male patient complaining of a sudden onset of bilateral pulsatile headache accompanied by fever, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and blurred vision. On neurological examination the patient had neck stiffness and a bilateral 2nd degree papilledema. Brain computed tomography did not reveal any space-occupying lesions. Lumbar puncture showed an elevated lymphocyte count in the CSF and the Brucella PCR was positive. MRI with contrast and magnetic resonance venography revealed a left transverse sinus thrombosis and a diagnosis of neurobrucellosis complicated with CVST was made.Discussion:CVST is a rare but serious complication of neurobrucellosis, it has been described in only a handful of cases. The diagnosis mainly consists of establishing the presence of neurobrucellosis using the CSF analysis and the Brucella PCR, and proving the existence of CVST using the brain MRI. Although, the management of this complication remains a controversy, the use of an antibiotic combination and anticoagulation therapy may improve the symptoms greatly.Conclusion:Although Brucella seldom affects the nervous system, with CVST being an extremely rare complication. Physicians should consider brucella as the cause of CVST, in endemic areas. Usually, it is treated with a combination of antibiotics. However, anticoagulation should be considered in some cases and future studies must be conducted to assess the role of anticoagulation treatment.