ABSTRACT
Abstract The differential diagnosis of optic neuritis is broad and varied. We report the case of a 24-year-old Brazilian man who presented with five-week history of fever, malaise, myalgia, severe fatigue, tender right preauricular lymphadenopathy, and acute vision blurring associated with right optic disc swelling and exudates in a macular star pattern. His illness developed soon after an infestation of fleas broke out among his cats. Diagnosis of ocular bartonellosis was confirmed by serological and molecular analyses targeting amplification of Bartonella spp. htrA gene. Signs and symptoms only improved after initiation of antimicrobial therapy.
Subject(s)
Humans , Animals , Male , Cats , Young Adult , Retinitis/microbiology , Bartonella henselae/isolation & purification , Retinitis/diagnosis , Retinitis/drug therapy , Doxycycline/therapeutic use , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic useABSTRACT
La infección por Bartonella henselae se presenta característicamente con adenopatías regionales y fiebre de intensidad variable, entidad conocida como enfermedad por arañazo de gato. Alrededor de 5 a 10 por ciento de los casos desarrolla compromiso ocular, entre los que destacan el síndrome óculo-glandular de Parinaud, la neuro-retinitis y la retino-coroiditis focal. A continuación se presentan dos pacientes con infección aguda por B. henselae y compromiso ocular. Ambos recibieron tratamiento y evolucionaron con recuperación completa de la visión.
Cat scratch disease is the main clinical presentation of Bartonella henselae infection. However, ocular manifestations of bartonellosis occur in about 5 to 10 percent of the patients, mainly presenting as neuroretinitis, choroiditis or oculoglandular syndrome of Parinaud. We describe two patients with documented B. henselae infection and typical ocular compromise. Both patients were treated and had a favorable visual outcome.
Subject(s)
Adult , Animals , Cats , Humans , Male , Cat-Scratch Disease/complications , Eye Infections, Bacterial/microbiology , Retinitis/microbiology , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Bartonella henselae/isolation & purification , Cat-Scratch Disease/diagnosis , Cat-Scratch Disease/drug therapy , Eye Infections, Bacterial/diagnosis , Fundus Oculi , Retinitis/diagnosisABSTRACT
The characteristic clinical presentation of cat scratch disease is subacute regional lymphadenopathy; nevertheless, 5-25 percent of Bartonella henselcie infections may present an atypical or systemic form, with potential eye involvement. We describe three clinical cases of ocular bartonellosis in two adolescents and one young adult, who had close contact with cats; all of them presented persistent fever ranging from 15 to 21 days, and two of them developed a sudden unilateral loss of visual acuity associated with optic neuritis. The other patient presented retinal choroiditis and unilateral retinal microgranulomas, with normal visual acuity. Patients received macrolides as sole antimicrobial or in association with rifampin, and one patient was additionally treated with systemic corticoids. The outcome was favorable in two patients; one patient developed a permanent visual deficit. Ocular bartonellosis must be suspected in patients with close contact to cats or with cat scratches whom develop persistent fever and sudden loss of visual acuity.
La enfermedad por arañazo de gato se manifiesta típicamente como una linfadenopatía regional sub-aguda; sin embargo, 5 a 25 por ciento de los pacientes infectados por Bartonella henselae desarrollan formas atípicas o sistémicas de la enfermedad, pudiendo evolucionar con compromiso ocular. Consideramos de interés describir las características clínicas, tratamiento y evolución de tres pacientes con bartonelosis ocular, dos adolescentes y un adulto joven, que tenían antecedentes de contacto y/o rasguño por gatos. Todos cursaron con síndrome febril prolongado, con 15 a 21 días de duración, asociado a pérdida súbita de la agudeza visual unilateral en dos casos, cuya fondoscopia reveló neuritis óptica. El otro paciente presentó retino-coroiditis y microgranulomas retiñíanos, con agudeza visual conservada. Todos recibieron tratamiento antimicrobiano con macrólidos solos o asociados a rifam-picina y uno recibió además corticosteroides sisté-micos. La evolución fue satisfactoria en dos, quedando un paciente con déficit visual permanente. Recomendamos sospechar bartonelosis ocular en pacientes con antecedentes de contacto y/o rasguños por gatos, que cursan con un síndrome febril prolongado y/o disminución súbita de la agudeza visual.