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Cat scratch disease, an infection caused by Bartonella henselae, is responsible for a variety of clinical manifestations, including (most commonly) lymphadenitis but also fever of unknown origin, encephalopathy, hepatosplenic abscesses, and (uncommonly) osteomyelitis.
Now, investigators have reviewed the records of 13 patients (median age, 7 years) admitted to a single hospital with osteomyelitis due to B. henselae to characterize the clinical and laboratory features and outcomes associated with this uncommon clinical manifestation.
The course of illness was prolonged in all cases, with a median of 10 days of symptoms prior to confirmation of the diagnosis. Diagnosis was made primarily by serology, but polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing …