An Unusual Case of Brucellosis in Japan: Difficulties in the Differential Diagnosis from Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Hiroki TAKAHASHI; Shintaroh TANAKA; Kazuhiro YOSHIDA; Hideaki HOSHINO; Hiroko SASAKI; Kohji TAKAHASHI; Kohichi KIMURA; Nobuhiro FUJII; Hiromichi KIMURA; Michio MORI; Shosaku ABE

doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.35.310

Hiroki TAKAHASHI, Shintaroh TANAKA, Kazuhiro YOSHIDA, Hideaki HOSHINO, Hiroko SASAKI, Kohji TAKAHASHI, Kohichi KIMURA, Nobuhiro FUJII, Hiromichi KIMURA, Michio MORI, Shosaku ABE

Author information

Hiroki TAKAHASHI
The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine
Shintaroh TANAKA
The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine
Kazuhiro YOSHIDA
The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine
Hideaki HOSHINO
The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine
Hiroko SASAKI
The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine
Kohji TAKAHASHI
The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine
Kohichi KIMURA
The Departments of Microbiology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine
Nobuhiro FUJII
The Departments of Microbiology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine
Hiromichi KIMURA
The Departments of Pathology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine
Michio MORI
The Departments of Pathology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine
Shosaku ABE
The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine

Keywords: Brucella abortus, imported zoonosis, pulmonary disease, polymerase chain reaction

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

1996 Volume 35 Issue 4 Pages 310-314

DOI https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.35.310

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Abstract

Human brucellosis is an imported zoonosis extremely uncommon in Japan. Brucellosis was found in a 38-year-old surgeon who had never been abroad; he developed intrapulmonary infiltrates and pleural thickening indistinguishable from pulmonary tuberculosis. Despite extensive antibiotic therapy for tuberculosis he developed systemic serositis. A culture of resected lung tissues grew CO₂-required coccobacilli. Polymerase chain reaction test using a specific primer pair for Brucella abortus revealed that the isolated pathogen is highly homologous to B. abortus. We emphasize that undetermined cases of human brucellosis may be present in Japan.
(Internal Medicine 35: 310-314, 1996)

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