Bartonella henselae infection associated with peripapillary angioma, branch retinal artery occlusion, and severe vision loss

PURPOSE: To report atypical clinical features of Bartonella henselae neuror etinitis treated with combination antibiotics. METHOD: Case report. RESULTS: A 20 year-old man with a positive B, henselae titer developed a un ilateral neuroretinitis, a large peripapillary angiomatous lesion, branch a rtery occlusion with ischemic maculopathy, and vision loss that failed to i mprove with clindamycin, Treatment with doxycycline and rifampin led to rap id clinical improvement, The severe vision loss in this case is atypical. CONCLUSIONS: Ocular findings associated with B. henselae infection may incl ude retinal angiomatous lesion and branch retinal artery occlusion, Doxycyc line and rifampin were successful in treating the infection. (Am J Ophthalm ol 1999;127:223-224; (C) 1999 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. ).