DETECTION OF BARTONELLA-HENSELAE BY POLYMERASE-CHAIN-REACTION IN BRAIN-TISSUE OF AN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PATIENT WITH MULTIPLE ENHANCING LESIONS - CASE-REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

The authors report the first DNA-based diagnosis of Bartonella hensela e cultured from a brain lesion in a patient with acquired immune defic iency syndrome. This human immunodeficiency virus-infected patient pre sented with altered men tal status, fever, and diabetes insipidus. Mag netic resonance imaging revealed multifocal parenchymal and leptomenin geal involvement, which was confirmed on studies of tissue biopsy samp les. Using the polymerase chain reaction and gene sequencing technique s, the authors definitively demonstrated the presence of B. henselae i n the brain tissue biopsy specimen.