Skip to main content

Advertising Disclaimer »

Main menu

  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • Authors
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Guidelines
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Complete Issue PDF
    • Archive
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Blog
  • Multimedia
    • Teaching Slides
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • CME/MOC
    • CME Quizzes
    • MOC Claiming
  • Subscribe
  • Alerts
  • Careers
  • Other Publications
    • American Academy of Pediatrics

User menu

  • Log in

Search

  • Advanced search
American Academy of Pediatrics

AAP Gateway

Advanced Search

AAP Logo

  • Log in
  • Journals
    • Pediatrics
    • Hospital Pediatrics
    • Pediatrics in Review
    • NeoReviews
    • AAP Grand Rounds
    • AAP News
  • Authors
    • Submit Manuscript
    • Author Guidelines
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Complete Issue PDF
    • Archive
    • Topic/Program Collections
    • Blog
  • Multimedia
    • Teaching Slides
    • Pediatrics On Call Podcast
  • CME/MOC
    • CME Quizzes
    • MOC Claiming
  • Subscribe
  • Alerts
  • Careers
American Academy of Pediatrics
In Briefs

Bartonella

Beth Goodman and Patricia Whitley-Williams
Pediatrics in Review August 2020, 41 (8) 434-436; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.2019-0198
Beth Goodman
*Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Patricia Whitley-Williams
†Department of Pediatrics and Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • Comments
Loading

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Download PDF
  1. Beth Goodman, MD*
  2. Patricia Whitley-Williams, MD†
  1. *Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ
  2. †Department of Pediatrics and Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ
  • AUTHOR DISCLOSURE

    Drs Goodman and Whitley-Williams have disclosed no financial relationships relevant to this article. This commentary does not contain a discussion of an unapproved/investigative use of a commercial product/device.

Pediatricians are often familiar with cat-scratch disease (CSD), but many are not familiar with the other manifestations of Bartonella infection. The Bartonella genus of bacteria are fastidious and slow-growing gram-negative bacilli. From 1889 to the present, 8 different Bartonella species have been identified, with differing manifestations. This In Brief reviews the illnesses caused by 3 of the more common Bartonella strains: henselae, quintana, and bacilliformis.

CSD, caused by Bartonella henselae, is the most common Bartonella infection, but it is also a “newer” manifestation. CSD was first reported clinically in 1950, yet B henselae was not identified as the etiologic agent until 1983.

In immunocompetent patients, typical (uncomplicated) CSD is characterized by regional lymphadenopathy, the most common manifestation of B henselae infection, along with a history of cat exposure. For most patients with CSD, regional lymphadenopathy is the only symptom. In approximately 30% of patients with CSD, mild systemic symptoms are also present, including low-grade fever, fatigue, and headache. A skin papule, vesicle, or pustule may be present at the presumed site of inoculation, which is often a bite or scratch from an infected cat. Regional lymphadenopathy develops approximately 1 to 2 weeks after the inoculation. The affected nodes are most frequently in the axillary, cervical, and inguinal areas, and the skin overlying the affected lymph nodes is often tender, warm, erythematous, and indurated, consistent with a bacterial lymphadenitis. Approximately 10% of affected nodes suppurate spontaneously.

Atypical (complicated) CSD is a disseminated infection that develops in 5% to 14% of immunocompetent patients and may involve almost any organ system. Ocular manifestations of B henselae occur in 5% to 10% …

Individual Login

Log in
You will be redirected to aap.org to login or to create your account.

Institutional Login

via Institution

You may be able to gain access using your login credentials for your institution. Contact your librarian or administrator if you do not have a username and password.

Log in through your institution

If your organization uses OpenAthens, you can log in using your OpenAthens username and password. To check if your institution is supported, please see this list. Contact your library for more details.

Pay Per Article - You may access this article (from the computer you are currently using) for 2 days for US$25.00

Regain Access - You can regain access to a recent Pay per Article purchase if your access period has not yet expired.

Offer Reprints

PreviousNext
Back to top

Advertising Disclaimer »

In this issue

Pediatrics in Review: 41 (8)
Pediatrics in Review
Vol. 41, Issue 8
1 Aug 2020
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • About the Cover
  • Index by author
  • Complete Issue (PDF)
View this article with LENS
PreviousNext
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Academy of Pediatrics.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Bartonella
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Academy of Pediatrics
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Academy of Pediatrics web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Request Permissions
Article Alerts
Log in
You will be redirected to aap.org to login or to create your account.
Or Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Citation Tools
Bartonella
Beth Goodman, Patricia Whitley-Williams
Pediatrics in Review Aug 2020, 41 (8) 434-436; DOI: 10.1542/pir.2019-0198

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Bartonella
Beth Goodman, Patricia Whitley-Williams
Pediatrics in Review Aug 2020, 41 (8) 434-436; DOI: 10.1542/pir.2019-0198
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
Print
Download PDF
Insight Alerts
  • Table of Contents

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Suggested Reading
  • Info & Metrics
  • Comments

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • PubMed
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • No citing articles found.
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Diaper Dermatitis
  • Treatment of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Children
  • Imaging the Infant or Child with an Abnormal Head Circumference
Show more In Briefs

Similar Articles

Subjects

  • Medical Education
    • Teaching/Curriculum Development
    • Medical Education
  • Journal Info
  • Editorial Board
  • ABP Content Specifications Map
  • Overview
  • Licensing Information
  • Authors
  • Author Guidelines
  • Submit My Manuscript
  • Librarians
  • Institutional Subscriptions
  • Usage Stats
  • Support
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Resources
  • Media Kit
  • About
  • International Access
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Statement
  • FAQ
  • AAP.org
  • shopAAP
  • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Instagram
  • Visit American Academy of Pediatrics on Facebook
  • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Twitter
  • Follow American Academy of Pediatrics on Youtube
American Academy of Pediatrics

© 2021 American Academy of Pediatrics