1/3. Cutaneous bacillary angiomatosis in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.BACKGROUND: Bacillary angiomatosis is a recently described vascular disorder that is associated with infection by bartonella henselae (formerly known as Rochalimaea henselae) and bartonella quintana (formerly known as Rochalimaea quintana); this disorder usually occurs in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. We report a case of cutaneous bacillary angiomatosis that occurred in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. OBSERVATIONS: A 55-year-old man with chronic lymphocytic B-cell leukemia, Rai stage IV, presented with multiple angiomatous papules that clinically resembled pyogenic granulomas. Histopathologic examination revealed circumscribed lobules of small vessels with plump endothelial cells, numerous neutrophils, and abundant nuclear dust; these features were diagnostic for bacillary angiomatosis. The diagnosis was confirmed by the Grocott-Gomori methenamine-silver nitrate stain that revealed argyrophilic bacteria and by ultrastructural demonstration of bacillary structures with trilaminar walls. Treatment with clarithromycin led to complete resolution of the lesions within 4 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: This case emphasizes that (1) bacillary angiomatosis must be considered in the differential diagnosis of vascular lesions in immunocompromised patients without human immunodeficiency virus infection, (2) Grocott-Gomori methenamine-silver nitrate stain is a simple and satisfactory alternative to the Warthin-Starry stain for the demonstration of bacilli in this condition, and (3) clarithromycin is an effective oral antibiotic for the treatment of this disease.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/3. Fine needle aspiration diagnosis of intramuscular bacillary angiomatosis. A case report.BACKGROUND: Bacillary angiomatosis (BA) is a localized infectious process that affects primarily patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The microorganisms implicated in the pathogenesis of this disease belong to the rickettsiaceae family. CASE: A 43-year-old, human immunodeficiency syndrome-positive male presented with diffuse swelling in the right deltoid area. A neoplastic process was considered in the differential diagnosis. Fine needle aspiration biopsy showed proliferation of blood vessels lined with plump endothelial cells, and the interstitial space was occupied by neutrophilic infiltrate, leukocytoclastic debris and clumps of characteristic amphophilic, granular material. Warthin-Starry stain demonstrated clusters of bacilli diagnostic of bacillary angiomatosis. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of this entity, made by fine needle aspiration cytology (as the only diagnostic procedure), was instrumental in preventing further surgical manipulation and in initiating appropriate and immediate antibiotic therapy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/3. Bacillary angiomatosis: presentation of six patients, some with unusual features.Bacillary angiomatosis (BA) is an unusual systemic vascular proliferation seen predominantly in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. These vascular lesions are probably due to infection with a Bartonella species, most often B. henselae and, in some patients, B. quintana. BA is treatable and often curable, but without therapy, may be life-threatening. Clinically, the lesions, when superficial, are said to often resemble pyogenic granulomas, appearing polypoid histologically with an epidermal collarette. We now report six patients, three of whom showed lesions of BA morphologically and histologically distinct from the other patients reported to date. Two patients lesions appeared clinically as violaceous plaques and tumours resembling Kaposi's sarcoma; one of them had lesions histologically reminiscent of a papular angiokeratoma; and the other had lesions histologically suggestive of a combination of Kaposi's sarcoma and BA. Another patient presented with soft subcutaneous nodules which histologically showed extensive acute inflammation characteristic of an acute abscess, but which also displayed proliferating dilated small blood vessels with bulbous endothelial cells adjacent to numerous bacteria and also containing them. The Grocott-methenamine silver stain and the Warthin-Starry stain showed the organisms to better advantage in lesions of all six patients, although bacteria were also evident with the haematoxylin and eosin, periodic acid-Schiff and alcian blue stains.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = vessel (Clic here for more details about this article) |