Clinical and Radiologic Manifestations of Bone Infection in Children with Cat Scratch Disease

J Pediatr. 2018 Oct:201:274-280.e12. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.05.033. Epub 2018 Jul 2.

Abstract

We identified 13 patients with cat scratch (Bartonella henselae) bone infection among those admitted to a large tertiary care children's hospital over a 12-year period. The median age was 7 years and the median time from onset of illness to diagnosis was 10 days. Multifocal osteomyelitis involving spine and pelvis was common; no patient had a lytic bone lesion. Median treatment duration was 28 days (IQR, 24.5 days). Despite significant variations in treatment duration and antimicrobial therapy choices, all patients showed improvement.

Keywords: Bartonella infections; literature review; multifocal infection; osteomyelitis.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Bartonella henselae / isolation & purification*
  • Cat-Scratch Disease / complications*
  • Cat-Scratch Disease / diagnosis
  • Cat-Scratch Disease / microbiology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Osteomyelitis / drug therapy
  • Osteomyelitis / etiology*
  • Osteomyelitis / microbiology
  • Radiography / methods*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Spine / diagnostic imaging*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents