OBJECTIVE: Tularemia is a bacterial zoonosis caused by Francisella tularensis. In this study, we aimed to retrospectively evaluate the documents of patients who had a diagnosis of tularemia in our hospital and discuss this condition with a literature review. METHODS: Twenty-five patients who had a diagnosis of tularemia between 2010 and 2013 were included in the study. The patients were assessed with respect to their demographic data; presenting complaints; leukocyte, sedimentation, and C-reactive protein (CRP) values; applied treatment protocols; duration of stay in the hospital; and histopathological examinations. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients were admitted to the health department of our clinic with a preliminary diagnosis of tularemia, and the diagnosis of tularemia was serologically confirmed for 25 patients. Pharyngeal mucosa cultures, centrifuged serum samples, and abscess and/or pathological samples were collected from all the patients. Thirteen patients were female, and 12 were male. The ages of the patients were between 10 and 75 (average 33.12±15.53) years. The most frequent (100%) symptom among the patients was swelling in the neck. While abscess drainage was performed in 12 patients (48%), the neck mass was excised in 3 patients (12%), and 10 patients (40%) were given only medical treatment. According to the guide of tularemia management by the Ministry of Health, treatment using suitable doses of streptomycin was started for all the patients; in addition, for 8 (32%) patients, doxycycline treatment was added. CONCLUSION: In recent years, tularemia in our country has been increasing at some specific locations, and those patients are frequently admitted to polyclinics with a complaint of swelling in the neck. In endemic areas in particular, tularemia should also be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients who present with abscess in the neck.
OBJECTIVE: Tularemia is a bacterial zoonosis caused by Francisella tularensis. In this study, we aimed to retrospectively evaluate the documents of patients who had a diagnosis of tularemia in our hospital and discuss this condition with a literature review. METHODS: Twenty-five patients who had a diagnosis of tularemia between 2010 and 2013 were included in the study. The patients were assessed with respect to their demographic data; presenting complaints; leukocyte, sedimentation, and C-reactive protein (CRP) values; applied treatment protocols; duration of stay in the hospital; and histopathological examinations. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients were admitted to the health department of our clinic with a preliminary diagnosis of tularemia, and the diagnosis of tularemia was serologically confirmed for 25 patients. Pharyngeal mucosa cultures, centrifuged serum samples, and abscess and/or pathological samples were collected from all the patients. Thirteen patients were female, and 12 were male. The ages of the patients were between 10 and 75 (average 33.12±15.53) years. The most frequent (100%) symptom among the patients was swelling in the neck. While abscess drainage was performed in 12 patients (48%), the neck mass was excised in 3 patients (12%), and 10 patients (40%) were given only medical treatment. According to the guide of tularemia management by the Ministry of Health, treatment using suitable doses of streptomycin was started for all the patients; in addition, for 8 (32%) patients, doxycycline treatment was added. CONCLUSION: In recent years, tularemia in our country has been increasing at some specific locations, and those patients are frequently admitted to polyclinics with a complaint of swelling in the neck. In endemic areas in particular, tularemia should also be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients who present with abscess in the neck.
Authors: H Erdem; D Ozturk-Engin; M Yesilyurt; O Karabay; N Elaldi; G Celebi; N Korkmaz; T Guven; S Sumer; N Tulek; O Ural; G Yilmaz; S Erdinc; S Nayman-Alpat; E Sehmen; C Kader; N Sari; A Engin; G Cicek-Senturk; G Ertem-Tuncer; G Gulen; F Duygu; A Ogutlu; E Ayaslioglu; A Karadenizli; M Meric; M Ulug; C Ataman-Hatipoglu; F Sirmatel; S Cesur; S Comoglu; A Kadanali; A Karakas; A Asan; I Gonen; Y Kurtoglu-Gul; N Altin; S Ozkanli; F Yilmaz-Karadag; M Cabalak; S Gencer; A Umut Pekok; D Yildirim; D Seyman; B Teker; H Yilmaz; K Yasar; I Inanc Balkan; H Turan; M Uguz; S Kilic; Y Akkoyunlu; S Kaya; A Erdem; A Inan; Y Cag; S Bolukcu; A Ulu-Kilic; N Ozgunes; L Gorenek; A Batirel; C Agalar Journal: Clin Microbiol Infect Date: 2014-08-13 Impact factor: 8.067
Authors: O Karabay; S Kilic; S Gurcan; T Pelitli; A Karadenizli; H Bozkurt; S Bostanci Journal: Clin Microbiol Infect Date: 2012-12-04 Impact factor: 8.067
Authors: Nina Schöbi; Philipp K A Agyeman; Andrea Duppenthaler; Andreas Bartenstein; Peter M Keller; Franziska Suter-Riniker; Kristina M Schmidt; Matthias V Kopp; Christoph Aebi Journal: Open Forum Infect Dis Date: 2022-06-11 Impact factor: 4.423