Sternal abscess due to Bartonella (Rochalimaea) henselae in a renal transplant patient

• DOI: 10.1007/s002560050261
• Publication Date: 2002-08-25T08:03:26Z
• Authors: Frédéric Bruckert; Eric de Kerviler; Anne-Marie Zagdanski; Jean-Michel Molina; Isabelle Casin; A. Guermazi; Janine Bédrossian; Jacques Frija
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Sternum; Bartonella henselae; Opportunistic Infections; Kidney Transplantation; Abscess; 3. Good health; Immunocompromised Host; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Bartonella Infections; Humans; Bone Diseases; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Bartonella henselae, previously called Rochalimaea henselae, is the causative agent of cat scratch disease (CSD) in immunocompetent subjects and bacillary angiomatosis in immunocompromised ones. Bone lesions are common in bacillary angiomatosis, but not in CSD. We present the case of a patient with a renal transplant treated by immunosuppressive therapy who developed a sternal abscess with a histological pattern of CSD. The CT pattern was that of a lytic bone lesion with adjacent fluid collection. The diagnosis was made on the basis of a polymerase chain reaction amplification performed on bone material. Bartonella henselae is a newly described bacteria that causes CSD in a normal host and bacillary angiomatosis in immunocompromised patients. We report a case of an osteolytic lesions of the sternum with adjacent fluid collection related to CSD, which occurred in a patient with a renal transplant.