[Cat-scratch disease and bacillary angiomatosis. An old and a new infectious disease with common etiology?].

A review of cat-scratch disease (CSD) and bacillary angiomatosis (BA) is presented on the basis of published articles. Two newly identified bacteria--Rochalimaea henselae and Afipia felis--have been isolated from patients with CSD. Preliminary investigations seem to indicate that A. felis is an uncommon cause of the disease. CSD may appear as a local suppurative lymphadenopathy or a systemic infection. BA is caused by Rochalimaea species and may appear as cutaneous, mucous or visceral angiomas or bacteremia. It may be a special manifestation of CSD in immunocompromised patients. A description is given of the various pathological pictures and differential diagnosis, and an evaluation is made of the different diagnostic methods, namely visualisation of bacteria in the lesions with Warthin-Starry's silver impregnation, isolation of bacteria, demonstration of bacteria with gene technique and detection of antibodies. The treatment of the disease is discussed.