Bartonella infections

Suggested Alternatives for Differential Diagnosis Bartonellosis, brucellosis, other causes of encephalitis, coxsackieviruses, cryptococcosis, cysticercosis, cytomegalovirus, histoplasmosis, legionellosis, leptospirosis, listeria, lyme disease, malaria, rabies, tuberculosis, mumps, stroke, metabolic encephalopathy, Reye syndrome, Bartonella infection, Naegleria infection, Ebstein-Barr virus, prion disease, toxic ingestions, and AIDS. 

Bacterial peliosis hepatis has been determined in cases of HIV infection and cat-scratch fever, where it is caused by Rochahmaea quintana bacteria (Bartonella henselae), (s. p. 482) It presents as a proliferation of blood-filled cystic sinusoidal cavities, which are surrounded by fibromyxoid stroma (M.J. Dolan et at, 1993). Sometimes it is possible to identify the causative organism using PCR or staining with a silver dye (War-thin-Starry). Treatment can then follow with antibiotic agents, such as erythromycin, doxycyclin or clarithromycin. 

Spach DH, Koehler JE. Bartonella-associated infections. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 1998 12 137-155. 

Daybell D, Paddock CD, Zaki SR, et al. Disseminated infection with Bartonella henselae as a cause of spontaneous splenic rupture. Clin Infect Dis. 2004 39 21-24. 

Qian X, Jin L, Hayden RT, et al. Diagnosis of cat scratch disease with Bartonella henselae infection in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues by two different PCR assays. Diagn Mol Pathol. 2005 14 146-151. 

Ives, T. J., Manzewitsch, P., Regnery, R. L., Butts, J. D., and Kebede, M. (1997). In vitro susceptibilities of Bartonella henselae, B. quintana, B. elizabethae, Rickettsia rickettsii, R. conorii, R. akari, and R. prowazekii to macrolide antibiotics as determined by immunofluorescent-antibody analysis of infected Vero cell monolayers. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 41,578-582. 

Verma, A. Davis, G. E. Ihler, G. M. Infection of human endothelial cells with Bartonella bacilliformis in dependent on Rho and results in activation of Rho. Infect. Immun. 2000,68,5960-5969. 

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