A systematic review on antibiotic therapy of cutaneous bacillary angiomatosis not related to major immunocompromising conditions: from pathogenesis to treatment

Abstract

Abstract Background Cutaneous bacillary angiomatosis (cBA) is a vascular proliferative disorder due to Bartonella spp. that mostly affects people living with HIV (PLWH), transplanted patients and those taking immunosuppressive drugs. Since cBA is mostly related to these major immunocompromising conditions (i.e., T-cell count impairment), it is considered rare in relatively immunocompetent patients and could be underdiagnosed in them. Moreover, antimicrobial treatment in this population has not been previously investigated. Methods We searched the databases PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, OpenAIRE and ScienceDirect by screening articles whose title included the keywords “bacillary” AND “angiomatosis” and included case reports about patients not suffering from major immunocompromising conditions to provide insights about antibiotic treatments and their duration. Results Twenty-two cases of cBA not related to major immunocompromising conditions were retrieved. Antibiotic treatment duration was shorter in patients with single cBA lesion than in patients with multiple lesions, including in most cases macrolides and tetracyclines. Conclusions cBA is an emerging manifestation of Bartonella spp. infection in people not suffering from major immunocompromising conditions. Until evidence-based guidelines are available, molecular tests together with severity and extension of the disease can be useful to personalize the type of treatment and its duration.