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Volume 32, Number 7—July 2026

Dispatch

Cat-Scratch Disease Associated with Acute Hearing Loss, Israel

Michal YakubovskyComments to Author , Michal Katzir, Alaa Atamna, Dana Yelin, Michal Landes, Gabriel Weber, Moshe Ephros, and Michael Giladi
Author affiliation: Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel (M. Yakubovsky, M. Katzir, A. Atamna, D. Yelin, M. Giladi); Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv (M. Yakubovsky, M. Giladi); Meir Hospital, Kfar Saba, Israel (M. Katzir); Beilinson Hospital, Rabin Medical Center, Petach Tiqva, Israel (A. Atamna); Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel (D. Yelin); Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel (M. Landes, G. Weber, M. Ephros); Emek Medical Center–Clalit, Afula, Israel (M. Landes); Carmel Medical Center, Haifa (G. Weber)

Main Article

Table

Characteristics of CSD patients with sudden sensoneuronal hearing loss, Israel*

Characteristic Patient no.
1 2 3 4 5
Age, y
 35
 47
 71
 15
 35
Sex
 Female
 Female
 Male
 Female
 Male
Cat contact
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
Fever (duration, wks)
 Yes (8)
 Yes (3)
 Yes (4)
 No
 Yes (12)
Lymphadenopathy
 Not reported
 Not reported
 Retroperitoneal
 Retro-auricular
 Cervical
Atypical CSD manifestations
 Neuroretinitis, CSD-FUO syndrome
 Central retinal artery occlusion, chorioretinitis, CSD-FUO syndrome
 CSD-FUO syndrome
 Neuroretinitis
 Erythema nodosum, encephalitis, CSD-FUO syndrome
Time from CSD onset to hearing loss, wks
 9
 3
 5
 6
 52
Laboratory diagnosis of CSD
 IgG 1:200; IgM positive
 IgG 1:800; IgM negative
 IgG 1:400; IgM negative
 IgG 1:100 (IgG seroconversion); IgM negative; positive PCR (lymph node)
 IgG 1:200; IgM borderline
Antibiotics
 Doxycycline and rifampin
 Doxycycline
 None
 None
 Doxycycline and rifampin
Corticosteroids
 Yes
 Yes
 Yes
 No
 No
Outcome
 Partial recovery with residual hearing impairment
 Partial recovery with residual hearing impairment
 Recovery after 4 wks
 Recovery after 10 wks
 Partial recovery with residual hearing impairment
Duration of follow-up, mo 107 75 58 85 29

*CSD, cat-scratch disease; FUO, fever of unknown origin. †Based on the patients’ own subjective perception of hearing ability because repeat audiometric testing was not available. For complete recovery, duration of hearing loss is shown; for partial recovery, hearing was assessed at last follow-up.

Main Article

Page created: May 21, 2026
Page updated: June 10, 2026
Page reviewed: June 10, 2026
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