Abstract

HERNANDEZ BENEDICTO, René et al. Systemic cat-scratch disease: An interesting communication. AMC [online]. 2009, vol.13, n.4. ISSN 1025-0255.

Background: Bartonella henselae is an every more frequent and diagnosed species, it causes numerous clinical syndromes in the immunosuppresive patients, nevertheless, in healthy people the infection is most common and receives the name "cat-scratch disease”. Objective: To describe a case of a systemic cat- scratch disease and to carry out a brief revision of the existing medical literature on this entity. Methods: a revision of the epidemic, clinical, analytic aspects and diagnosis by image and histopathology of an 18 year-old young boy with systemic cat-scratch disease, treated with azithromycin, 500 mg daily, during ten days with excellent results. Results: We find evolutionarily that the patient had received a cat scratch and after 3-5 days the clinical manifestations began, among them the classics of the disease and others as the affectation of the liver, spleen, kidney and conjunctive. The analytic study demonstrated some alterations reported by other authors, while the serologic, immunologic and histopathological investigations confirmed the diagnosis of the disease. Conclusions: The cat-scratch disease is an uncommon zoonosis but on increase, of good prognosis that should differ of several infectious and malignant pathologies. The epidemiology is important in the diagnosis, since the clinical picture may vary on inmmunocompromised and on grown-ups people, for what is necessary the serologic study and the histopathology for its confirmation. The therapy with macrolides fundamentally azithromycin is highly effective.

Keywords : cat-scratch disease; adenopathies; azithromycin.

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