Blood samples and a bone biopsy specimen from one patient diagnosed with spondylodiscitis of unknown etiology were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR to detect Brucella melitensis. The high sensitivity and specificity of this assay allowed the diagnosis of brucellar spondylitis within 24 h, a result that we were unable to obtain through the use of conventional methods.

tuberculosis (tb) global prevalence remains almost unchanged over the past few decades. though genitourinary tract tuberculosis is common, it is rarely associated with scrotal fistula. we present  a rare case of advanced tuberculous epididymo-orchitis (tbeo) which culminated in removing the testis. before final diagnosis is made, it was unresponsive to empirical therapy of bacterial epididymo-o...

Although human brucellosis has protean clinical manifestations, affected tissues usually exhibit signs of inflammation. The cellular and molecular bases of some immunopathological phenomena probably involved in the pathogenesis of infection with brucellae have been elucidated recently. Human osteoblasts and fibroblast-like synoviocytes produce cytokines, chemokines and matrix metalloproteinases...

The clinical presentation of genitourinary tuberculosis (TB) may be variable and a high index of suspicion is required for a timely diagnosis, especially in endemic areas. Recurrent scrotal ulcers associated with epididymo-orchitis even without other constitutional symptoms should alert the clinician of a possible diagnosis of TB.