CAT-SCRATCH DISEASE IN A CHILD WITH UNIQUE MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGINGFINDINGS

Objective: To report a patient with cat-scratch disease and the associ ated radiological findings. Patient: A previously health 10-year-old b oy presenting with fever and point pain. Results: The presence of mult iple abnormal foci in the bone marrow were noted by magnetic resonance imaging. There was no correlation with either radionuclide or convent ional radiographic imaging findings. The patient's condition was diagn osed as cat-scratch disease by the demonstration of elevated antibody titers to the causative organism, Bartonella (formerly Rochalimaea) he nselae. Conclusion: Magnetic resonance imaging may be more sensitive t o the early bone marrow changes that can occur with cat-scratch diseas e than either radionuclide bone scan or computed tomography.