Detection of Bartonella henselae by polymerase chain reaction in brain tissue of an immunocompromised patient with multiple enhancing lesions. Case report and review of the literature.

The authors report the first DNA-based diagnosis of Bartonella henselae cultured from a brain lesion in a patient with acquired immune deficiency syndrome. This human immunodeficiency virus-infected patient presented with altered mental status, fever, and diabetes insipidus. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed multifocal parenchymal and leptomeningeal involvement, which was confirmed on studies of tissue biopsy samples. Using the polymerase chain reaction and gene sequencing techniques, the authors definitively demonstrated the presence of B. henselae in the brain tissue biopsy specimen.