The Case of the Neighbor’s Cat Causing Complications

Medical detectives must keep in mind, always, the possibility that a cat entered into the chain of events that brought a human patient to seek treatment. This newly published case hints strongly at that principle:

“The Case of the Neighbour’s Cat Causing a Symptomatic (Mycotic) Aortic Aneurysm and an Infected Endograft,” Ahmed Shalan, Nicky Wilson, Jon Poels, Anna Ikponmwosa, and Stephen Cavanagh, EJVES Short Reports, epub 2017. The authors, at York Teaching Hospital, York, UK, report:

“A 69 year old female was prescribed but failed to complete a full course of co-amoxiclav following a forearm cat bite. Nine days later she was admitted with pyrexia, left flank pain, and haematuria…. Four weeks following stent graft insertion, the patient was readmitted with loss of consciousness. Imaging demonstrated an infected graft with an associated psoas abscess. The endograft was explanted and reconstruction performed with the femoral vein. Only at this point was the history of a cat bite and positive blood cultures elicited and recognised as relevant.”