Report of an unusual case of persistent bacteremia by Bartonella bacilliformis in a splenectomized patient.
We report a case of a 56-year-old man with a history of splenectomy for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura who developed persistent bacteremia in the acute phase of human bartonellosis. This patient did not develop hemolytic anemia. Only after several courses of antibiotic treatment was the infection eradicated. This is an unusual case of overwhelming post-splenectomy infection by Bartonella bacilliformis, which provides clinical evidence that the spleen is a critical effector organ of clearance of this infection as well as the effector organ of bartonellosis-associated hemolytic anemia.
Henríquez
César
C
Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, AP 4314, Lima 100, Peru. 03873@upch.edu.pe
Hinojosa
Juan Carlos
JC
Ventosilla
Palmira
P
Infante
Beronica
B
Merello
Jenny
J
Mallqui
Vania
V
Verastegui
Manuela
M
Maguiña
Ciro
C
D000743:Anemia, Hemolytic / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000209:etiology*; D001473:Bartonella / Q000276:immunology*; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial