This case series describes three patients with a similar clinical picture: unilateral abrupt visual loss, optic nerve edema, and a macular star exudate. In all cases we found significant antibody titers to Bartonella henselae, the causative agent of cat scratch disease. Cat scratch disease seems to be the most common cause of stellate neuroretinitis, formerly known as Leber's idiopathic stellat...

First described in 1931, cat scratch disease remains the most commonly identified clinical syndrome associated with Bartonella infection. Over the last 20 years, however, the discovery and use of modern diagnostic tests has greatly expanded our understanding of the pathogenesis, clinical spectrum, and treatment options for Bartonella infections of all types. Indeed, each varies substantially de...

Bartonella henselae was discovered a quarter of a century ago as the causative agent of cat scratch disease, a clinical entity described in the literature for more than half a century. As diagnostic techniques improve, our knowledge of the spectrum of clinical disease resulting from infection with Bartonella is expanding. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding the microbiology, clin...