Bacillary Organisms in Cat Scratch Disease

Abstract

To the Editor: Usually a benign, self-limited disease, cat scratch disease is characterized by the appearance of an erythematous non-pruritic papule of the skin at the site of a cat's scratch. One to two weeks later, inflammation of regional lymph nodes appears, occasionally accompanied by fever, malaise, headache, anorexia, or some combination of these. In 10 to 30 per cent of the cases, the lymph nodes undergo focal necrosis within five weeks.¹ Conjunctivitis, preauricular lymphadenopathy, and fever characterize the most common variant of cat scratch disease (the oculoglandular syndrome of Parinaud). In addition, rare complications such as encephalitis and osteolytic . . .