Cat Scratch Disease

Excerpt

Cat scratch disease (Cat scratch fever) causes a febrile illness with subacute regional lymphadenopathy. The agent of infection is Bartonella henselae. In most cases, there is a spontaneous resolution within 2 to 4 weeks. More severe and disseminated disease can occur in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised hosts. Cat scratch disease was initially described in the 1930s, and the association of the illness with cats was identified in the 1950s. Cat scratch should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any acute, subacute, or chronic lymphadenopathy.