Bone infection: brucellar spondylitis: practice question

A Orthopaedics question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Orthopaedics · Bone infection: brucellar spondylitis

Sample item

A dairy farmer who drinks unpasteurised milk has fever, sweats and low back pain. MRI shows L4-L5 spondylodiscitis with erosion of the anterior vertebral corner and a beak-like osteophyte. Which organism is the likely cause?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Brucella

Brucellar spondylitis occurs after exposure to infected dairy products or livestock and typically affects the lumbar spine. Anterior vertebral corner erosions and later parrot-beak osteophytes are characteristic, with relatively little vertebral collapse compared with tuberculosis. Diagnosis rests on serology and blood culture, and treatment is a combination such as doxycycline with rifampicin.

Option by option

  • A. Brucella (correct)

    Correct. Unpasteurised milk and lumbar spondylodiscitis suggest Brucella.

  • B. Aspergillus

    Aspergillus spondylitis occurs in immunocompromised patients.

  • C. Treponema pallidum

    Syphilis causes a different pattern of bone involvement and is not related to milk.

  • D. Salmonella typhi

    Salmonella is associated with sickle cell disease rather than milk exposure.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Orthopaedics questions

Questions about this Orthopaedics question

What is the answer to this Orthopaedics question?

The best answer is A, Brucella. Brucellar spondylitis occurs after exposure to infected dairy products or livestock and typically affects the lumbar spine.

Why is "Aspergillus" not the answer?

Aspergillus spondylitis occurs in immunocompromised patients.

Why is "Treponema pallidum" not the answer?

Syphilis causes a different pattern of bone involvement and is not related to milk.

Why is "Salmonella typhi" not the answer?

Salmonella is associated with sickle cell disease rather than milk exposure.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Bone infection: brucellar spondylitis in Orthopaedics. Anterior vertebral corner erosions and later parrot-beak osteophytes are characteristic, with relatively little vertebral collapse compared with tuberculosis. Diagnosis rests on serology and blood culture, and treatment is a combination such as doxycycline with rifampicin.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Bone infection: brucellar spondylitis?

Pair each fracture with its classic complication and nerve injured. Then use the flashcards and the other Orthopaedics questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.