Isolated intracranial hypertension a rare presentation of neurobrucellosis

Abstract

Brucella melitensis infection is endemic in the eastern and south-eastern Anatolia regions of Turkey. We report an unusual case of brucella meningitis presenting with bilateral papilla stasis, diplopia and absence of other neurological involvement. Diagnosis was made by positive culture of Brucella spp. with a BACTEC 9120 system with inoculation of the patient’s cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This is the first report of isolation of Brucella spp. from CSF on a BACTEC 9120 system for diagnosis of meningitis. This case demonstrated that brucella meningitis may present with very slight symptoms, and inoculation of CSF into BACTEC bottle besides conventional cultures improves the detection of Brucella in endemic areas such as Turkey.