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CC BY 4.0 · Avicenna J Med
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1812318
Case Report

Cutaneous Bacillary Angiomatosis: A Rare and Forgotten Infection in Immunocompromised Patient

Autoren

  • Yamen Homsi

    1   Department of Rheumatology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States

  • Emily Milam

    2   Department of Dermatology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States

  • Nour Dayoub

    3   Lang Research Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, Queens, New York, United States
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Abstract

This case describes a 50-year-old kidney transplant recipient with subacute development of erythematous-to-violaceous skin lesions on the face, trunk, and extremities, accompanied by malaise, myalgia, and arthralgia. Histopathologic analysis of skin biopsies revealed characteristic vascular proliferation consistent with bacillary angiomatosis (BA), a rare angioproliferative disease caused by Bartonella henselae or Bartonella quintana infection, primarily affecting immunocompromised individuals. The patient was treated successfully with oral doxycycline, resulting in the resolution of symptoms and lesions. BA is typically transmitted via cats and presents variably, including cutaneous angioproliferative lesions, hepatic or splenic involvement, and endocarditis. Diagnosis relies on histopathology with specialized staining and molecular testing, as culture and serologies are often insufficient. Treatment typically involves prolonged antibiotic therapy, emphasizing the importance of early recognition in immunosuppressed patients, including solid organ transplant recipients, to prevent complications.

Keywords

bacillary angiomatosis - angioproliferative lesions - Bartonella infection - immunocompromised patients - renal transplant recipients


Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
28. Oktober 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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