[A clinical case of spontaneous involution of systemic cat scratch disease]

Rev Med Liege. 2010 Feb;65(2):78-80.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Typical Cat-scratch disease (CSD) manifests as regional lymphadenopathy following cat scratch and sometimes associated with mild fever. There is a lot of atypical manifestations and some of those have systemic involvement. Hepatosplenic CSD is a systemic presentation associating fever of unknown origin with nodules in the liver and/or the spleen. Ultrasound abdominal examination shows nodules (3-30 mm) in the spleen and/or in the liver. Diagnostic is based on serology for B henselae (always IgG + and sometimes IgM +), or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on the liver to test for the presence of B henselae. Hepatosplenic CSD is rare and therefore underdiagnosed. There is no consensus about the treatment but most of the authors suggest to treat with rifampicine. We report a case of a 4-years-old girl presenting with fever of unknown origin (FUO), high inflammatory markers with normal leukocytosis and hepatosplenic nodules. The diagnosis of CSD was made retrospectively. Evolution was favourable even though no specific antibiotic treatment for Bartonella henselae was administrated.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • C-Reactive Protein / analysis
  • Cat-Scratch Disease / diagnosis*
  • Cats
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Fever of Unknown Origin / etiology
  • Humans
  • Liver Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Liver Diseases / etiology
  • Splenic Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Splenic Diseases / etiology
  • Ultrasonography

Substances

  • C-Reactive Protein