Diagnosis and follow-up of Bartonella henselae infection in the spleen of an immunocompetent patient by real-time quantitative PCR.

Abstract

Systemic Bartonella henselae infections are unusual in immunocompetent adults. However, here we report one such case of bartonellosis in a 34-year-old patient, who presented with fever and multinodular splenomegaly. We also describe a novel method of identifying Bartonella henselae by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of amplified products. This could prevent splenic bartonellosis being mistaken for lymphoma and thereby avert unnecessary splenectomy.

• Authors: Maria Carla Liberto, Giovanni Matera, Angelo G Lamberti, Angela Quirino, Giorgio S Barreca, Nadia Marascio, Francesco Baudi, Benedetto Caroleo, Orietta Staltari, Alfredo Focà
• Journal: Journal of medical microbiology (J Med Microbiol) Vol. 62 Issue Pt 7 Pg. 1081-1085 (Jul 2013) ISSN: 1473-5644 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 23518653 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anti-Bacterial Agents
• DNA, Bacterial

Topics

• Adult
• Anti-Bacterial Agents (therapeutic use)
• Bartonella Infections (microbiology)
• Bartonella henselae (isolation & purification)
• DNA, Bacterial
• Female
• Humans
• Immunocompetence
• Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (methods)
• Splenic Diseases (microbiology)