Chronic Active Myocarditis Following Acute Bartonella henselae Infection (Cat Scratch Disease)
Glenn R. Meininger, M.D.; Tibor Nadasdy, M.D.; Ralph H. Hruban, M.D.; Robert C. Bollinger, M.D.; Kenneth L. Baughman, M.D.; Joshua M. Hare, M.D.
From the Departments of Medicine, Division of Cardiology (G.R.M., K.L.B., J.M.H.), Division of Infectious Diseases (R.C.B.), and the Department of Pathology (T.N., R.H.H.), Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.
Am J Surg Pathol 2001;25:1211-1214 Abstract quote
An association between Bartonella infection and myocardial inflammation has not been previously reported.
We document a case of a healthy young man who developed chronic active myocarditis after infection with Bartonella henselae (cat scratch disease). He progressed to severe heart failure and underwent orthotopic heart transplantation.
Bartonella henselae, therefore, should be included among the list of infectious agents associated with chronic active myocarditis.