Cat-Scratch Disease Pneumonia: An Atypical Presentation

Purpose: Cat-scratch disease is caused by Bartonella henselae infection and it commonly presents in children with a mild cutaneous lesion and adjacent lymphadenitis. It has rarely been observed that it can present as a disseminated infection, such as encephalitis or pneumonia. We present a case report of a 35-year old, immunocompetent, patient who suffered pneumonia and encephalitis, resulting from Bartonella henselae infection. We also present a review of the literature published regarding this rare complication. Methods: We’ve searched the literature in the databases of Pubmed and Google Scholar to find articles that report pulmonary presentations of cat-scratch disease. Results: We’ve found only 16 other reported similar cases with pulmonary involvement in cat-scratch disease. Conclusions: Pulmonary presentation in cat-scratch disease is an uncommon presentation of a common disease, and it should be ruled out, even in cases it seems unlikely.