Bacillary Angiomatosis in a Patient With HIV and Disseminated Mycobacterium avium Complex Infection.

Authors

Ibeth P Caceres
Angelique Ruml
Rubi Montejano
Omid Jalali
Theodore Rosen

Publication Date

6-1-2024

Journal

Cureus

DOI

10.7759/cureus.63392

PMID

39077245

PMCID

PMC11283915

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

6-28-2024

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Published Open-Access

yes

Keywords

acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, hiv, mycobacterium avium complex, bartonella henselae, bacillary angiomatosis

Abstract

Bartonella is a genus of arthropod-borne bacterial pathogens that typically cause persistent infections of erythrocytes and endothelial cells in mammalian hosts. The species that primarily infect humans are Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana. Depending on immune status, the clinical presentation of B. henselae may differ, manifesting as cat-scratch disease in immunocompetent individuals or bacillary angiomatosis (BA) and peliosis in immunocompromised patients. The cutaneous manifestations of BA are typically characterized by occasionally painful, angiomatous papules and nodules, often with a chronic, persistent course. Herein, we present a case of biopsy-confirmed B. henselae infection in a 32-year-old HIV-positive female with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in the setting of disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex infection, an association that has been less frequently described. This case serves as an important reminder to consider uncommon opportunistic infectious etiologies when examining immunocompromised patients, as prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential in this patient population.