Abstract:ObjectiveTo analyze clinical characteristics of patients with brucellosis. MethodsClinical and epidemiological data of patients with brucellosis and admitted to a tertiary general hospital in Hunan Province from January 2014 to March 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. ResultsFrom January 2014 to March 2018, a total of 32 patients were diagnosed with brucellosis, the number of confirmed cases in 2017 was the most(n=12, 37.5%). The age of onset was concentrated on 14-60 years (n=23, 71.9%), 29(90.6%) patients lived in rural areas. 19 patients had definitely contacted with cattle and sheep. 16 cases (50.0%) were initially diagnosed in the infectious diseases department, and 12 (37.5%) were initially diagnosed in the spine surgery department. The main clinical manifestations and abnormal findings were as follows: fever (n=29, 90.6%), lumbago and leg pain (n=18, 56.3%); among 20 patients with spinal imaging examination, 5 (25.0%) had damage in lumbar vertebra or sacral vertebra, 7(35.0%) had soft tissue lesion around the vertebral body, 21(65.6%) had lower hemoglobin, and 9(28.1%) had thrombocytopenia; 62.5% (15/24) of patients had elevated procalcitonin, 96.7%(29/30) had elevated Creactive protein, and 74.2% (23/31) had accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. 21(62.5%) patients were treated with doxycycline plus rifampicin, 30 patients completed followup, and 29 patients recovered. ConclusionClinical manifestations of brucellosis are diverse, patients with fever of unknown origin, especially those with fever and lumbago and leg pain after contacting cattle and sheep should consider the possibility of brucellosis, so as to avoid missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis.