Evaluation of Brucella pericarditis cases by pooled analysis method

Abstract

Objective: Brucellosis is one of the most frequent zoonotic infectious diseases and is a global public health concern, particularly in developing countries. Brucellosis causes systemic symptoms and can affect different parts of the body. Brucellar pericarditis is a rare involvement of the cardiovascular system. This study aimed to investigate the clinical outcomes of Brucella pericarditis cases. Methods: A pooled analysis study was conducted by searching four international online databases with the terms “ Brucella ” and “pericarditis” and their synonyms. The full texts or abstracts were screened using these keywords. The publications were examined in terms of the age and gender of cases, publication year and country, additional diagnosis, diagnostic methods, treatments, and outcomes. Results: The study included 25 cases (14 males, 56%), with a mean age of 38.84 ± 9.7 (12-79) years. Systemic findings were present in 17 (68%) patients, and 17 (68%) had a cardiac presentation. 10 (40%) patients had retrosternal pain/ chest pain, 10 (40%) patients had pericardial frontman, and five (%10) cases had tachycardia. The most commonly used diagnostic method