Severe anemia, panserositis, and cryptogenic hepatitis in an HIV patient infected with Bartonella henselae.

Abstract

Bartonella spp. constitute emerging pathogens of worldwide distribution. Bacillary angiomatosis is the most frequent skin manifestation of bartonelloses; nevertheless, B. henselae infection should always be considered systemic, especially in immunodeficient individuals. The authors report the case of an AIDS patient with bacillary angiomatosis, who had concurrent severe anemia, hepatitis, peritonitis, pleuritis, and pericarditis. Clinical manifestation, electronic microscopic examination of erythrocytes, and histopathology of a papule biopsy suggested a Bartonella sp. infection. Multiple genes were target by PCR and B. henselae DNA was amplified and sequenced (GenBank accession number EF196804) from the angiomatous papule. Treatment with clarithromycin resulted in resolution of the bacillary angiomatosis, fever, anemia, panserosites, and hepatitis.

• Authors: Paulo Eduardo Neves Ferreira Velho, Vanessa Pimentel, Gilda Maria Barbaro Del Negro, Thelma Suely Okay, Pedro Paulo Vissotto de Paiva Diniz, Edward Bealmear Breitschwerdt
• Journal: Ultrastructural pathology (Ultrastruct Pathol) 2007 Nov-Dec Vol. 31 Issue 6 Pg. 373-7 ISSN: 1521-0758 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 18098054 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Anti-Bacterial Agents
• DNA, Bacterial
• Clarithromycin

Topics

• AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections (drug therapy, microbiology, pathology)
• Adult
• Anemia (drug therapy, microbiology, pathology)
• Angiomatosis, Bacillary (drug therapy, microbiology, pathology)
• Anti-Bacterial Agents (therapeutic use)
• Bartonella henselae (genetics, isolation & purification)
• Base Sequence
• Clarithromycin (therapeutic use)
• DNA, Bacterial (analysis)
• Erythrocytes (microbiology, ultrastructure)
• HIV Infections (microbiology)
• Hepatitis (drug therapy, microbiology, pathology)
• Humans
• Immunocompromised Host
• Male
• Microscopy, Electron, Transmission (methods)
• Molecular Sequence Data
• Serositis (drug therapy, microbiology, pathology)
• Skin Diseases (drug therapy, microbiology, pathology)
• Treatment Outcome