Atypical ocular bartonellosis: A case report

To report a case of chorioretinitis without papilledema caused by Bartonella henselae in an immunocompetent patient.

A 27-year-old female patient with a history of multiple cat scratches presented on August 28, 2025, with a gradual decline in visual acuity in her right eye. This decline had been developing for 3 weeks following scratches from cats and was accompanied by a fever of 39°C. Optical coherence tomography revealed serous retinal detachment with associated epithelial detachment. Fluorescein angiography showed a hyperfluorescent perimacular focus in the superior temporal region, consistent with chorioretinitis characterized by star-shaped macular exudates, and there was no evidence of papilledema. HIV-1 and 2 serology was negative. Serum protein electrophoresis returned normal results, and the HbA1c level was 5.5%. Serology for B. henselae was positive (immunoglobulin [Ig]G and IgM) with titers greater than 1:1280 and 1:1200. The treatment plan included doxycycline (100 mg every 12 hours) for 6 weeks and rifampicin (300 mg every 12 hours) with corticosteroid therapy (1 mg/kg) for 4 weeks. Fluorescein angiography conducted 6 weeks after treatment showed a hypofluorescent area in the superior temporal region of the macula, indicating that the star-shaped macular exudates had disappeared. The patient reported improved visual acuity, although they experienced slight blurred vision in the right eye.

Ocular bartonellosis can lead to unusual eye damage, specifically chorioretinitis, even in the absence of papilledema.