Bacillary angiomatosis in an HIV seronegative patient on systemic steroid therapy

Bacillary angiomatosis is an unusual systemic vascular proliferation seen predominantly in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. These vascular lesions are due to infection with a Bartonella species, most commonly B. henselae, but sometimes B. quintana. It is treatable and often curable, but without therapy may be life-threatening. Clinically, the disorder often resembles several different vascular disorders, particularly pyogenic granuloma and Kaposi's sarcoma. We now report a clinically typical patient with bacillary angiomatosis who was HIV seronegative, but who had idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, was status-post splenectomy and to whom long-term systemic prednisone had been administered.