Cranial nerve involvement in brucellosis

Abstract

Brucellosis is one of the common zoonotic infectious diseases in the world. It may involve all organs and systems. However, the central nervous system is unusually rarely involved. Meningitis is most frequently observed in neurobrucellosis and is associated with many complications like cranial nerve (CN) paralysis, meningoencephalitis, myelitis, radiculopathy, and neuropathy. Because of basal meningitis, one or more CN involvement is seen in more than 50 % of the patients with neurobrucellosis. Besides neurobrucellosis, causes of CN palsies in cases of brucellosis are pseudotumor cerebri and adverse reactions of tetracyclines which are used in the treatment of brucellosis.