Cat Scratch disease: literature review and case report

Abstract

Cat scratch disease is an uncommon infection caused by Bartonella Henselae bacteria. It has a reported incidence of 9.3 cases per 100 000 individuals and occurs in 80% of children aged between 2 and 14 years with a higher prevalence in men. The typical presentation of the disease is presented as cutaneous nodules at the site of inoculation with regional lymphoadenitis as well as nonspecific symptoms such as fever, malaise, headache among others. It is produced through a scratch or only by contact with an infected animal and the infecting microorganism is transported by macrophages from the site of inoculation to the lymph nodes. The gold standard in the diagnosis of this condition is an extensive clinical history and serological tests revealing high levels of IgM and IgG antibodies, so the objective of this study is to present a rare case of cat scratch disease in a female patient 9 years old who presented bilateral preauricular lymphadenopathy. In addition, a systematic review of the available literature was carried out in order to determine and describe the signs, symptoms, diagnosis, available treatment and prognosis of this disease.