eMedicine Specialties > Infectious Diseases > Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections

Catscratch Disease: Follow-up

Author: Stephen J Nervi, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Dermatology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey School of Medicine
Coauthor(s): Rajendra Kapila, MD, MBBS, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, UMDNJ, New Jersey Medical School; Roseanne A Ressner, DO, Fellow, Department of Infectious Diseases, Brooke Army Medical Center; Lynn L Horvath, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine/Infectious Disease, University of Texas Health Science Center; Consulting Staff, Department of Infectious Disease, Brooke Army Medical Center; Joyce R Drayton, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Morehouse School of Medicine
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Jan 26, 2009

Follow-up

Further Inpatient Care

  • Depending on severity, immunocompromised patients or patients with atypical manifestations of catscratch disease (CSD) may require hospitalization.

Further Outpatient Care

  • Patients should be instructed to return for a follow-up evaluation to ensure resolution of lymphadenopathy in 2-4 months.
  • Patients should return to care if their condition worsens or the lymph node starts to suppurate.

Prognosis

  • Catscratch disease is usually self-limiting and carries an excellent prognosis.
  • Complications and sequelae are rare in typical catscratch disease.
  • Severe encephalitis and other disseminated forms of B henselae infection can lead to long-term sequelae.
  • The disease is very rare.

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Symptoms of catscratch disease (CSD) that do not resolve and persistent lymphadenopathy should be re-evaluated for other infectious etiologies and lymphoma.
  • Failure to have the patient follow up for resolution of symptoms and to rule out other etiologies may result in adverse outcomes.
  • If antibiotics are administered, monitor for adverse reactions. Dose adjustments may be necessary in children and in cases of renal insufficiency and hepatic disease.
 


More on Catscratch Disease

Overview: Catscratch Disease
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Catscratch Disease
Treatment & Medication: Catscratch Disease
Follow-up: Catscratch Disease
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

catscratch disease, cat scratch disease, CSD, cat scratch fever, catscratch fever, Bartonella henselae infection, B henselae infection, Bartonella infection, bacillary angiomatosis, peliosis, verruga peruana, Parinaud's oculoglandular syndrome, Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome, Parinaud syndrome, neuroretinitis, acute encephalopathy, endocarditis, Bartonella endocarditis, subacute regional lymphadenitis, bartonellosis, catscratch antigen, CSA, atypical catscratch disease, atypical cat scratch disease, Rochalimaea henselae, R henselae

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Stephen J Nervi, MD, Staff Physician, Department of Dermatology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey School of Medicine
Stephen J Nervi, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Dermatology, American Medical Association, and Sigma Xi
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Rajendra Kapila, MD, MBBS, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, UMDNJ, New Jersey Medical School
Rajendra Kapila, MD, MBBS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Infectious Diseases Society of New Jersey
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Roseanne A Ressner, DO, Fellow, Department of Infectious Diseases, Brooke Army Medical Center
Roseanne A Ressner, DO is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, Armed Forces Infectious Diseases Society, and Infectious Diseases Society of America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Lynn L Horvath, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine/Infectious Disease, University of Texas Health Science Center; Consulting Staff, Department of Infectious Disease, Brooke Army Medical Center
Lynn L Horvath, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, American Society for Microbiology, Armed Forces Infectious Diseases Society, and Infectious Diseases Society of America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Joyce R Drayton, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Morehouse School of Medicine
Joyce R Drayton, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians, American College of Preventive Medicine, American Holistic Medical Association, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Phi Beta Kappa
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

John M Leedom, MD, Professor of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California; Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Los Angeles County, University of Southern California Medical Center
John M Leedom, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, American Society for Microbiology, Infectious Diseases Society of America, International AIDS Society, and Phi Beta Kappa
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

John W King, MD, Professor of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center; Director, Viral Therapeutics Clinics for Hepatitis; Consulting Staff, Department of Infectious Diseases, Overton Brook Veterans Affairs Medical Center
John W King, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American College of Physicians, American Federation for Medical Research, American Society for Microbiology, Association of Subspecialty Professors, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Sigma Xi
Disclosure: emedicine $50.00 author of chapter

CME Editor

Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD, Clinical and Research Fellow, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital
Eleftherios Mylonakis, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Advancement of Science, American College of Physicians, American Society for Microbiology, and Infectious Diseases Society of America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Burke A Cunha, MD, Professor of Medicine, State University of New York School of Medicine at Stony Brook; Chief, Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop-University Hospital
Burke A Cunha, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, and Infectious Diseases Society of America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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