A Case Report of Mastitis Due to Brucella Infection in Post-menopausal Woman

Abstract

Background: Brucellosis is an endemic disease in Iran. It produces systemic symptoms in humans but organs such as breasts are rarely involved. Breast involvement of brucella can be frequently detected in animals; however, it is extremely rare in humans. Case Report: A 67-year-old woman, living in rural area in Babol, Iran, with fever, trembling and inflammation on one side of right breast referred to a clinic. She had fever, weakness, arthritis and loss of appetite from one week prior to the visit. Ultrasound was requested and showed mastitis. Antibiotics in beta-lactam groups had no effect on the patient. Serology tests of Wright, Combs-Wright and 2-mercaptoethanol were positive with the titer of 1/640, 1/640 and 1/320, respectively. Treatment with a combination of doxycycline and streptomycin lead to clinical care. She was under observation for 2 months until her ultrasound results changed to negative. Conclusion: In endemic area, brucellosis should be pointed out; as it is clinically difficult to distinguish this type of infection from an inflammatory carcinoma of the breast or any other organs.

Keywords

• Brucellosis
• Mastitis
• Menopause