Scalp eschar and neck lymphadenopathy after tick bite (SENLAT) caused by Bartonella henselae in Korea: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Tick-borne lymphadenopathy (TIBOLA) is an infectious disease, mainly caused by species from the spotted fever group rickettsiae and is characterized by enlarged lymph nodes following a tick bite. Among cases of TIBOLA, a case of scalp eschar and neck lymphadenopathy after tick bite (SENLAT) is diagnosed when an eschar is present on the scalp, accompanied by peripheral lymphadenopathy (LAP). Only a few cases of SENLAT caused by Bartonella henselae have been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: A 58-year-old male sought medical advice while suffering from high fever and diarrhea. Three weeks before the visit, he had been hunting a water deer, and upon bringing the deer home discovered a tick on his scalp area. Symptoms occurred one week after hunting, and a lump was palpated on the right neck area 6 days after the onset of symptoms. Physical examination upon presentation confirmed an eschar-like lesion on the right scalp area, and cervical palpation revealed that the lymph nodes on the right side were non-painful and enlarged at 2.5 × 1.5 cm. Fine needle aspiration of the enlarged lymph nodes was performed, and results of nested PCR for the Bartonella internal transcribed spacer (ITS) confirmed B. henselae as the causative agent. CONCLUSION: With an isolated case of SENLAT and a confirmation of B. henselae in Korea, it is pertinent to raise awareness to physicians in other Asian countries that B. henselae could be a causative agent for SENLAT.

Bartonella henselae infection in a dog with recalcitrant ineffective erythropoiesis.

Ineffective erythropoiesis was diagnosed in an 8-year-old male castrated Labrador Retriever. Despite treatment with immunosuppressive therapy for suspected immune-mediated erythrocyte maturation arrest, resolution of the nonregenerative anemia was not achieved. Following documentation of Bartonella henselae bacteremia by Bartonella alpha proteobacteria growth medium (BAPGM) enrichment blood culture, immunosuppressive therapy was discontinued, and the anemia resolved following prolonged antibiotic therapy. Bartonella immunofluorescent antibody testing was negative, whereas B henselae western blot was consistently positive. The contribution of B henselae bacteremia to ineffective erythropoiesis remains unknown; however, the potential role of B henselae in the pathophysiology of bone marrow dyscrasias warrants additional investigation.

[Cat scratch disease - a neglected zoonosis]. / Nemoc z kocicího skrábnutí - opomíjená zoonóza.

Cat scratch disease is a relatively rare infection that is caused by the bacterium Bartonella henselae. This disease occurs after cat scratch or bite. The course of the disease depends on the patients immunity status. In immunocompetent patients, the disease typically runs as a lymph node syndrome. Sometimes, mild general symptoms may appear, or the course can be atypical with a more serious clinical manifestation involving various organs. In immunocompromised patients, Bartonella henselae can cause bacillary angiomatosis or peliosis with a severe course.

[Dermatologic manifestations associated with HIV/AIDS]. / Manifestaciones dermatológicas asociadas a la infección por VIH/SIDA.

The ongoing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection epidemic coupled with more efficacious and available treatments has led to a larger number of patients living with HIV or AIDS. As a result, skin manifestations related to HIV/AIDS or its therapy have become increasingly more common and are reported to occur in as many as 95% of patients. Herein, we review the most common HIV/AIDS related cutaneous pathologies and classify them into inflammatory, HAART-associated, neoplastic, and infectious manifestations. Cutaneous manifestations should be promptly recognized and treated by physicians and health care personnel in order to provide optimal care.

Manifestaciones dermatológicas asociadas a la infección por VIH/SIDA / Dermatologic manifestations associated with HIV/AIDS

The ongoing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection epidemic coupled with more efficacious and available treatments has led to a larger number of patients living with HIV or AIDS. As a result, skin manifestations related to HIV/AIDS or its therapy have become increasingly more common and are reported to occur in as many as 95% of patients. Herein, we review the most common HIV/AIDS related cutaneous pathologies and classify them into inflammatory, HAART-associated, neoplastic, and infectious manifestations. Cutaneous manifestations should be promptly recognized and treated by physicians and health care personnel in order to provide optimal care.

La epidemia del virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) sumado al mayor acceso a terapias antiretrovirales (TARV) han llevado a un aumento del número y la sobrevida de pacientes que viven con esta infección crónica. Se estima que hasta 95% de los pacientes con infección por VIH/SIDA presentarán alguna manifestación cutánea, por lo cual, debemos conocerlas. En la presente revisión se estudiarán las manifestaciones cutáneas de la infección por el VIH/SIDA clasificadas como: manifestaciones inflamatorias, manifestaciones asociadas a la TARV, manifestaciones neoplásicas y manifestaciones infecciosas asociadas a infección por VIH/SIDA (bacterianas, virales, fúngicas y parasitarias). Estas manifestaciones deben ser reconocidas por los médicos y el personal de salud a cargo del tratamiento y control de los pacientes con esta patología crónica.

Initial diagnosis of HIV/AIDS in a 56-year-old man with non-healing forearm lesion.

A 56-year-old Hispanic man with no significant medical problems presented with a 2-month history of a non-healing right forearm lesion that progressed despite several courses of empiric antibiotics. The patient underwent incision and drainage. Warthin-Starry stain with immunohistochemistry testing diagnosed bacillary angiomatosis secondary to Bartonella quintana. Subsequently, the patient was diagnosed with HIV, with a CD4 count of 68 cells/mm(3), and a HIV viral load of 47, 914 copies/mL. The patient was treated with doxycycline and started on antiretroviral therapy. The lesion has resolved and he has had no recurrence after 16 months of treatment.

Adhesins of Bartonella spp.

Adhesion to host cells represents the first step in the infection process and one of the decisive features in the pathogenicity of Bartonella spp. B. henselae and B. quintana are considered to be the most important human pathogenic species, responsible for cat scratch disease, bacillary angiomatosis, trench fever and other diseases. The ability to cause vasculoproliferative disorders and intraerythrocytic bacteraemia are unique features of the genus Bartonella. Consequently, the interaction with endothelial cells and erythrocytes is a focus in Bartonella research. The genus harbours a variety of trimeric autotransporter adhesins (TAAs) such as the Bartonella adhesin A (BadA) of B. henselae and the variably expressed outer-membrane proteins (Vomps) of B. quintana, which display remarkable variations in length and modular construction. These adhesins mediate many of the biologically-important properties of Bartonella spp. such as adherence to endothelial cells and extracellular matrix proteins and induction of angiogenic gene programming. There is also significant evidence that the laterally acquired Trw-conjugation systems of Bartonella spp. mediate host-specific adherence to erythrocytes. Other potential adhesins are the filamentous haemagglutinins and several outer membrane proteins. The exact molecular functions of these adhesins and their interplay with other pathogenicity factors (e.g., the VirB/D4 type 4 secretion system) need to be analysed in detail to understand how these pathogens adapt to their mammalian hosts.

Bacillary angiomatosis in an immunocompetent child: a case report and review of the literature.

Bacillary angiomatosis is an infectious disease caused by 2 gram-negative bacilli, Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana. This disease is characterized by vascular proliferations in the skin and/or visceral organs, and typically manifests in immunocompromised patients. However, we report a case of a 10-year-old immunocompetent female child with a questionable history of being scratched by a cat. Although initially diagnosed as a pyogenic granuloma, a diagnosis of bacillary angiomatosis was made based on histologic examination of the excised lesion demonstrating interstitial bacillary deposition on Warthin-Starry silver stain. The patient was successfully treated with 2 weeks of azithromycin after which all symptoms resolved.

Angiomatosis bacilar: resolución espontánea? / Bacillary angiomatosis: spontaneous resolutión?

La angiomatosis bacilar es una enfermedad infecciosa oportunista con manifestaciones sistémicas, no conocidas antes de la epidemia del virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (HIV). Se manifiesta usualmente en pacientes inmunodeprimidos con recuentos de linfocitos T CD4+ inferiores a 200 células /µL y su evolución, sin tratamiento, cuenta con elevados índices de mortalidad. Presentamos un paciente de sexo masculino, de 27 años, con antecedentes de SIDA, que había iniciado HAART 18 días antes de su derivación a nuestro servicio. Al examen físico se observaban lesiones generalizadas de 1 mes de evolución, compatibles clínica e histológicamente con angiomatosis bacilar, que resolvieron en forma espontánea en 4 semanas.

Disseminated Bartonella infection following liver transplantation.

Bartonella henselae has not only been identified as the causative agent of cat scratch disease, but it is also associated with other significant infectious syndromes in the immunocompromised population. We describe two cases of B. henselae associated diseases in liver transplant recipients who both had contact with cats. The first recipient developed localized skin manifestation of bacillary angiomatosis in association with granulomatous hepatitis. He tested positive for Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against B. henselae. The second patient developed axillary lymphadenopathy, with biopsy showing necrotizing granulomatous inflammation and polymerase chain reaction studies were positive for B. henselae DNA. Her serology for bartonellosis showed a fourfold rise in antibody titers during her hospitalization. Both patients responded to treatment with Azithromycin in combination with Doxycycline. These were the only cases within a series of 467 consecutive liver transplants performed in 402 patients performed during a 4-year period. Although bartonellosis is a rare infection in liver transplantation recipients, it should always be included in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with fever, central nervous system (CNS) symptoms, skin lesions, lymphadenopathy, and hepatitis especially if prior contact with cats is reported.

Angiomatosis bacilar / Bacillary angiomatosis

La angiomatosis bacilar (AB) es un proceso patológico caracterizado por la prolifración vascular secundaria a microorganismos del género Bartonella. Se ha asociado comúnmente con pacientes HIV positivos, pero también ha sido reportado en otros pacientes inmunodeprimidos y en un pequeño grupo de pacientes sin inmuno-supresión demostrada. Se caracteriza por lesiones cutáneas vasculares que pueden diseminarse sistémicamente. La angiomatosis bacilar es tratable y puede ser curada con tratamiento antibiótico

Bacillary angiomatosis on a region of burned skin in a immunocompetent patient.

Bacillary angiomatosis usually develops in immunodeficient patients with a history of contact with cats. We report a 21-year-old immunocompetent woman with facial angiomatous lesions following a second-degree burn and without a history of direct contact with cats. The diagnosis of bacillary angiomatosis was based on the demonstration of bacilli in histological sections stained by the Warthin-Starry method. The lesions resolved 2 months after treatment with oral erythromycin for 8 weeks. This case emphasizes that bacillary angiomatosis may be seen in immunocompetent individuals and may be transmitted in other ways than cat scratches, e.g. by arthropods.

Bacillary angiomatosis by Bartonella quintana in an HIV-infected patient.

Bacillary angiomatosis and bacillary peliosis are opportunistic infections caused by Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana, which occur in patients with late-stage infection. We report a case of bacillary angiomatosis in an HIV-infected patient with skin, bone, and probably liver involvement, The identification of the agent (B quintana ) was done by polymerase chain reaction in the skin specimen. The patient had complete regression of all lesions after a 6-month regimen of oral erythromycin.