[A case of cat scratch disease complicated by reversible encephalopathy]

Abstract

We described a eight-year-old girl with encephalopathy due to cat scratch disease. Cat scratch disease is a common cause of benign, self-limited, regional adenopathy seen among young people. Encephalopathy is uncommon but is a serious complication of cat scratch disease. Cat scratch disease with associated encephalopathy was described by Stevens in 1952. Since then there have been reports of only 39 cases in the English literature. As far as we know, this case is the first case in Japan. In cases of a rapidly progressive encephalopathy, the diagnosis of cat scratch disease should be considered.