From cat scratch disease to endocarditis, the possible natural history of Bartonella henselae infection.
BACKGROUND
Most patients with infectious endocarditis (IE) due to Bartonella henselae have a history of exposure to cats and pre-existing heart valve lesions. To date, none of the reported patients have had a history of typical cat scratch disease (CSD) which is also a manifestation of infection with B. henselae.


METHODS
Here we report the case of a patient who had CSD and six months later developed IE of the mitral valve caused by B. henselae.


CONCLUSIONS
Based on this unique case, we speculate that CSD represents the primary-infection of B. henselae and that IE follows in patients with heart valve lesions.
Gouriet
Frédérique
F
Unité des Rickettsies, CNRS UMR 6020, IFR 48, Faculté de Médecine, Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille cedex 05, France. frederique.gouriet@medecine.univ-mrs.fr <frederique.gouriet@medecine.univ-mrs.fr>
Lepidi
Hubert
H
Habib
Gilbert
G
Collart
Frédéric
F
Raoult
Didier
D
D000328:Adult; D018416:Bartonella henselae / Q000254:growth & development*; D002372:Cat-Scratch Disease / Q000382:microbiology*; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000382:microbiology; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology