title: Pediatric cervicofacial lymphadenitis caused by Bartonella henselae.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic cervicofacial lymphadenitis in children is often caused by nontuberculous mycobacterium or Bartonella henselae species (known as cat scratch disease).
  
  
  METHODS
  Bartonella henselae infection was diagnosed in 53 of 427 children with cervicofacial lymphadenopathy by polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age of patients ranged from 16 to 148 months (median, 59 months), 28 (53%) were male, and 25 were female (47%). The submandibular lymph nodes were most commonly affected (92%). Patients were not treated with antibiotics. In 11 (21%) patients, aspiration of pus was performed to facilitate drainage, which led to a mean resolution of 5 ± 3.1 months compared with a mean resolution time of 8.2 ± 3.8 months for 40 patients treated with a wait-and-see policy (P = .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bartonella henselae is a common pathogen in children with chronic cervicofacial lymphadenitis. Treatment usually involves a wait-and-see approach, but in selected cases, aspiration may be needed for symptomatic relief.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam and Amstelland Hospital, Amstelveen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: J.a.lindeboom@amc.uva.nl.
authors.forename: Jerome A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lindeboom
mesh_terms: D018416:Bartonella henselae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002372:Cat-Scratch Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008199:Lymphadenitis / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck; D009426:Netherlands; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies