Cat Scratch Endocarditis

Jacopo De Cristofaro1, Stefania Sacchi1, Luca Baldetti1

  • 1Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, San Raffaele University Hospital, Milan, Italy.

JACC. Case Reports
|February 16, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Subacute Bartonella henselae infection caused blood culture-negative endocarditis, leading to severe cerebral ischemia from septic emboli. Diagnosis relied on serology, highlighting a rare presentation of cat scratch disease.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Neurology
  • Cardiology

Background:

  • Infective endocarditis typically presents with fever and heart murmurs.
  • Blood cultures are crucial for diagnosing infective endocarditis.
  • Cerebral ischemia can be a complication of infective endocarditis.

Observation:

  • A case of blood culture-negative infective endocarditis on a native valve was observed.
  • The patient's primary symptoms were extensive cerebral ischemia.
  • Multiple systemic septic cardioembolic events were identified as the cause of ischemia.

Findings:

  • The infective endocarditis was attributed to subacute Bartonella henselae infection.
  • The presumed transmission route was cat scratch.
  • Positive serologic findings confirmed Bartonella henselae infection.

Implications:

  • This case highlights a rare presentation of Bartonella henselae infection.
  • It underscores the importance of considering non-bacterial causes of infective endocarditis.
  • Neurological complications can be the sole manifestation of this condition.

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