Madison Area Lyme Support Group

Bartonella henselae, the causative agent of cat-scratch disease, has been recognized to be responsible for a broad range of clinical syndromes. We report the case of a patient with disseminated B. henselae infection mimicking Langerhans cell histiocytosis at presentation and its successful management with neurosurgery, prolonged antibacterial therapy, and observation.

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**Comment**

Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis is a supposed “rare” disorder that looks like cancer (some say it is cancer).  The above case study implicates Bartonella.

Bartonella is known to cause granulomas

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/06/ocular-manifestations-of-bartonellosis/  Bartonella spp. infections continue to be a common cause uveitis with ophthalmic manifestations ranging from neuroretinits, vascular occlusions, to choroidal granulomas.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/03/04/bartonella-erythema-nodosum-atypical-presentations/  The finding of bilateral enlarged axillary lymph nodes with necrosis and granulomas led to the diagnosis of Bartonella infection, an unusual cause of erythema nodosum.

Granulomas represents a chronic inflammatory response initiated by various infectious and noninfectious agents.  https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/granuloma

Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a type of eosinophilic granuloma

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/langerhans-cell-histiocytosis  Excerpt below:

Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a disorder in which excess immune system cells called Langerhans cells build up in the body. Langerhans cells, which help regulate the immune system, are normally found throughout the body, especially in the skin, lymph nodes, spleen, lungs, liver, and bone marrow. In Langerhans cell histiocytosis, excess immature Langerhans cells usually form tumors called granulomas. Many researchers now consider Langerhans cell histiocytosis to be a form of cancer, but this classification remains controversial.

In approximately 80 percent of affected individuals, one or more granulomas develop in the bones, causing pain and swelling. The granulomas, which usually occur in the skull or the long bones of the arms or legs, may cause the bone to fracture.

Granulomas also frequently occur in the skin, appearing as blisters, reddish bumps, or rashes which can be mild to severe. The pituitary gland may also be affected; this gland is located at the base of the brain and produces hormones that control many important body functions. Without hormone supplementation, affected individuals may experience delayed or absent puberty or an inability to have children (infertility). In addition, pituitary gland damage may result in the production of excessive amounts of urine (diabetes insipidus) and dysfunction of another gland called the thyroid. Thyroid dysfunction can affect the rate of chemical reactions in the body (metabolism), body temperature, skin and hair texture, and behavior.  In 15 to 20 percent of cases, Langerhans cell histiocytosis affects the lungs, liver, or blood-forming (hematopoietic) system; damage to these organs and tissues may be life-threatening.

Older names that were sometimes used for forms of Langerhans cell histiocytosis include eosinophilic granuloma, Hand-Schüller-Christian disease, and Letterer-Siwe disease.