title: Report of an unusual case of persistent bacteremia by Bartonella bacilliformis in a splenectomized patient.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, AP 4314, Lima 100, Peru. 03873@upch.edu.pe
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Henríquez
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hinojosa
authors.forename: Palmira
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ventosilla
authors.forename: Beronica
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Infante
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Merello
authors.forename: Vania
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mallqui
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verastegui
authors.forename: Ciro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maguiña
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial