In the present study, 24 cases with brucellosis followed up from 1 January 2000 to 30 April 2010 in the Infectious Diseases Unit of Hacettepe University İhsan Doğramacı Children’s Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Brucellosis was diagnosed by an increased brucella agglutination titer of 1:160 or greater and/or isolation of the organism by culture in the presence of clinical findings. The 24 patients (13 males, 11 females) were aged 11.2±3.5 years. File records were obtained, and the most common symptoms on admission were fever (93.3%), malaise (86.6%), lack of appetite (80%), sweating (66.6%), and joint pain and swelling (53.3%). On physical examination, the findings and percentages were as follows: fever (93.3%), arthritis (46.6%), lymphadenopathy (26.6%), splenomegaly (6.6%), and maculopapular rash (6.6%). Seventeen percent of the patients had high aminotransferase levels, 63% had high erythrocyte sedimentation rate and 72% had increased levels of positivity of C-reactive protein (CRP). In 30.7% of the cases, blood cultures were positive. All of the cases received combined antibiotic therapy. One of the cases (6.6%) had relapse during the follow-up period.

Keywords: bruselloz, çocuk, akut, subakut.