Rafferty Jason R, Janopaul-Naylor Elizabeth, Riese Jeffrey
Pediatr Emerg Care. 2017 Dec;33(12):e164-e166. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000001330.
Cat-scratch disease-associated vertebral osteomyelitis and epidural involvement are rare and may manifest with nonspecific chronic symptoms in children, such as fever or torticollis. We present only the fourth case in the literature describing epidural involvement in an immunocompetent boy presenting with fever, torticollis, and indiscriminate left upper back tenderness. Bartonella henselae serologies are important to consider because such atypical complications often are responsive to conservative management with antibiotics.