Cat-Scratch Disease - A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Cat-scratch disease (CSD) is usually a benign, self-limited disease that causes that causes painful regional lymphadenopathy. Occasionally, it may present with systemic symptoms and have a prolonged course. In Hualien, several cases of suspectable CSD are usually reported in summer, especially in pediatric outpatient departments. Previously, the diagnosis of CSD has been mainly based on the histories and clinical symptoms, and strong evidence related to the histopathologic examination has been rarely provided. In this article, a case of one patient, a previously healthy boy , is described with regional painful lymphadenopathy and a significant cat-exposuer history. He received extentsive examinations and no other causes of lymphadenopathy were revealed. The result of the histopathologic examination of the involved lymph node was consistent with CSD. The patient responded promptly to ciprofloxacin treatment, and had no evidence of relapse during extensive follow-up. This is a typical CSD case report of successful treatment using ciprofloxacin in eastern Taiwan.