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The following is a summary of “A systematic review on antibiotic therapy of cutaneous bacillary angiomatosis not related to major immunocompromising conditions: from pathogenesis to treatment,” published in the April 2024 issue of Infectious Diseases by Rotundo et al.

Cutaneous bacillary angiomatosis (cBA) is a skin condition caused by Bartonella bacteria, which is usually found in people living with HIV (PLWH), transplanted patients, and those taking immunosuppressive drugs. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study investigating the lack of antimicrobial treatment research for healthy individuals with cBA.

They used databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, OpenAIRE, and ScienceDirect, using keywords such as ‘bacillary’ and ‘angiomatosis’, and case reports about patients with major immunocompromising conditions to provide insights about antibiotic treatments and duration. 

The results showed 22 cases of cBA not related to major immunocompromising conditions where antibiotic treatment duration was also shorter with single cBA lesion than in patients with multiple lesions, including, in most cases, macrolides and tetracyclines.

Investigators concluded that cBA is a new aspect of Bartonella spp. the infection affects those without major immune issues. Without guidelines, using molecular tests and assessing disease severity can personalize treatment.

Source: bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-024-09253-9