Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Presumed ocular bartonellosis.
- Journal:
- The British journal of ophthalmology
- Year:
- 1999
- Authors:
- Kerkhoff, F T et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Ophthalmology · Netherlands
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
This study looked at 13 patients with eye inflammation linked to a bacterial infection called bartonellosis, which is caused by a germ often associated with cats. Among these patients, nine had a specific type of eye inflammation called neuroretinitis, and four had panuveitis, both of which showed signs of the infection in blood tests. While most of the patients had been around cats, only two showed typical signs of cat scratch disease. After treatment with antibiotics, more than half of the affected eyes showed improvement in vision over six months. Overall, the treatment worked for many of the patients, but some still had significant vision problems.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The spectrum of diseases caused by Bartonella henselae continues to expand and ocular involvement during this infection is being diagnosed with increasing frequency. METHODS: The clinical features and visual prognosis for 13 patients with intraocular inflammatory disease and laboratory evidence of bartonellosis were investigated. There were nine patients with neuroretinitis and four with panuveitis with positive antibody titres against B henselae determined by an enzyme immunoassay (IgG exceeding 1:900 and/or IgM exceeding 1:250). RESULTS: Positive IgG levels were found for eight patients and positive IgM levels for five. Despite animal exposure of 10 patients, only two (IgG positive) cases had systemic symptoms consistent with the diagnosis of cat scratch disease. Pathological fluorescein leakage of the optic disc was observed in all affected eyes. At 6 months' follow up, 3/18 (17%) affected eyes had a visual acuity of less than 20/100, owing to optic disc atrophy and cystoid macular oedema. 12 patients (17 eyes) were treated with antibiotics; visual acuity improved two or more Snellen lines for 9/17 (53%) eyes. CONCLUSIONS: The possibility of B henselae infection should be considered in patients with neuroretinitis and panuveitis (especially in cases with associated optic nerve involvement) even in the absence of systemic symptoms typical for cat scratch disease.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10365031/