Epidemiology of Bartonella Infections in Bacillary Angiomatosis-Peliosis

Bacillary angiomatosis is a vascular disorder that affects skin, bone, and brain. Bacillary peliosis, a closely related angioproliferative process, involves the liver and spleen. Both diseases occur predominantly in patients infected with HIV, and both are caused by two species of fastidious gram-negative rods belonging to the genus bartonella. Domestic cats are the primary reservoir for B. henselae, the agent responsible for cat-scratch disease, while lice transmit B. quintana, which may cause trench fever and endocarditis in homeless people. This study examined the epidemiology of the two species in 49 patients with bacillary angiomatosis or peliosis, 45 of whom also had HIV infection.

Of the patients from whom blood cultures were obtained…