Paediatric Submandibular Abscess: An Unexpected Diagnosis of Cat Scratch Disease

Abstract

Cat-scratch disease (CSD) is an infectious condition predominantly affecting children, presenting as lymphadenopathy, fever and headache, as well as atypical manifestations including oculo-glandular syndrome, meningoencephalitis, osteolytic lesions, and retinitis [1]. Usually caused by a cat's scratch or bite, it is the primary cause of infectious lymphadenitis among children, adolescents, and young adults [2]. We report a case of a 16-year-old boy with a growing left-sided neck mass, initially misdiagnosed and treated for lymphadenitis at a local
hospital. The mass did not resolve and became fluctuant, diagnosed as cat-scratch disease at our institution