Cat-cratch dieae neuroretiniti diagnoed by a polymerae chain reaction approach

PURPOE: To ae the value of polymerae chain reaction in the diagnoi of cat-cratch dieae neuroretiniti without concluive erology. METHOD: Interventional cae report. A 13-year-old girl developed a right neuroretiniti 2 month after a cat cratch. Depite the lack of accompanying feature, an infection by Bartonella henelae wa upected and a ytemic check-up wa performed. REULT: erologic reult excluded other propoed origin but were inufficient in making the diagnoi becaue of low B. henelae pecific IgG level in erum. A polymerae chain reaction analyi for B. henelae DNA in a mall axillary lymphadenopathy apirate enabled u to achieve a definitive diagnoi of cat-cratch dieae. CONCLUION: Polymerae chain reaction i a valuable method of diagnoing cat-cratch dieae when erology i conidered negative or borderline.