[Bone involvement in cat scratch disease]

Cat scratch disease caused by Bartonella henselae with bone involvement is a rare presentation.

We report a case of disseminated bartonellosis with multifocal osteomyelitis and multiple visceral involvement in an immunocompetent adult. Diagnostic confirmation was obtained by PCR on lymphadenopathy. In addition to our observation, 31 cases of bartonellosis with bone involvement were reported in the literature. Diagnosis is based on a combination of history, serology and PCR performed on tissue. The antibiotic treatment allows recovery in all cases.

Cat scratch disease in its systemic form with bone involvement is a rare and difficult diagnosis for the clinician and an invasive approach is often required to obtain the diagnosis.