title: Severe occlusive vasculitis as a complication of cat scratch disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this communication is to report a severe occlusive vasculitis as a complication of cat scratch.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 34-year-old Hispanic woman presented with a sudden visual loss of the right eye associated with shivers, high fever and arthritis which developed 2 months after a cat's bite. Fundus examination showed papillitis and a palor of the paramacular zone of the retina. Fluorescein angiography revealed multiple arterial and venous vasculitic occlusions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Auto-immune disease and endocarditis were ruled out by an extensive medical work-up. The diagnosis of Bartonella henselae was confirmed by a positive serology. A systemic antibiotherapy with azithromycin, doxycyclin, rifampicin and steroid therapy resulted in a good clinical response, including a rapid visual recovery with a visual acuity of 20/20 and no relapse of the disease at 6 months follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ocular complications associated with cat scratch disease may include vasculitis with both arterial and venous occlusions causing severe visual loss.
authors.affiliation: Jules Gonin Eye Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berguiga
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abouzeid
authors.forename: P-A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Bart
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guex-Crosier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002372:Cat-Scratch Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D031300:Retinal Vasculitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*