Article

Disseminated infection with Bartonella henselae in a lung transplant recipient.

Clinic of Pulmonary Medicine, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
The Journal of heart and lung transplantation: the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation (impact factor: 3.54). 08/2009; 28(7):736-9. DOI:10.1016/j.healun.2009.03.016 pp.736-9
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT We present the case of a lung transplant recipient with disseminated infection with Bartonella henselae. In non-immunosuppressed humans, the organism typically causes a local infection that manifests itself as regional lymphadenopathy. The role of the host immune response to B henselae is critical in preventing progression to systemic disease. Only rare cases of bartonellosis in transplant recipients have been reported. We discuss aspects and difficulties of diagnosis and treatment of bartonellosis in a lung transplant recipient who suffered from a severe multisystem involvement of this disease. In our case, the initial response to therapy was unsatisfying and necessitated an extended anti-infective combination therapy, which eventually was successful.

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Keywords

B henselae
 
Bartonella henselae
 
difficulties
 
disseminated infection
 
extended anti-infective combination therapy
 
host immune response
 
initial response
 
local infection
 
non-immunosuppressed humans
 
progression
 
rare cases
 
regional lymphadenopathy
 
severe multisystem involvement
 
systemic disease
 
transplant recipients
 

Barbara Lienhardt