Cat scratch disease diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology

The diagnosis of cat scrath disease is frequently based on clinical grounds. The detection of antibodies to Rochalimaea henselae has recently been used as supporting evidence for the diagnosis of this condition. While specific fine needle aspiration cytology findings have been described in this infection, there is little emphasis on this diagnostic modality in the medical literature. In this report, a patient with typical manifestations of cat scratch disease is presented. The diagnosis was made by demonstrating characteristic cytological findings on fine needle aspiration material. It was further confirmed by the demonstration of elevated antibody titre to R. hensale in the patient's serum