Bartonella infectious endocarditis associated with cryoglobulinemia and multifocal proliferative glomerulonephritis

Abstract

Bartonella sp. are a common cause of culture-negative infective endocarditis. Glomerulonephritis is a well-documented consequence of the immune activation associated with infective endocarditis. However, Cryoglobulinemia has not previously been reported in association with Bartonella infective endocarditis. Below we report a case of a 48-year-old male with Bartonella henselae infective endocarditis complicated by cryoglobulinemia and multifocal proliferative glomerulonephritis, highlighting a possible link between Bartonella sp. infection and type III cryoglobulinemia.