Enfermedad por arañazo de gato

Abstract

Cat scratch disease is an infection caused by the bacterium Bartonella henselae. From a clinical point of view it is characterized by regional self-limited lymphadenopathy, accompanied by fever and other general symptoms. A report is presented of a 42-year-old female patient who started out with submandibular adenopathies of increasing size in lateral regions of the neck and 37 ºC low-grade fever of 4 weeks ofevolution. A lymphoproliferative process was established as differential diagnosis, and fine-needle aspiration cytology of the lesions was indicated. The result was nonspecific reactive lymphadenitis, not conclusive for diagnosis. Therefore, exeresis was performed of a neck ganglion. Histopathological examination revealed the formation of granulomas which coalesce into star-shaped structures, i.e. irregular central accumulations of active and disintegrating macrophages surrounded by a distinct border of palisading epithelioid macrophages.