A mysterious Patient, and how his cat killed him almost

The team of Doctors is long at a loss in this disease

A 14-Year-old Boy from the USA, who prefers to remain anonymous, was up to his 14. The age of healthy and inconspicuous. He was very athletic, intelligent and played in the school theater. But suddenly everything changed in his life. Has begun to suffer history with the occurrence of feeling Overwhelmed and jittery. The development of the disease process went on mental problems, up to suicidal thoughts. His pet plays a larger role than the treating team of Doctors initially assumed.

A normal Teenager

The American Boy is up to the outbreak of his mystery illness story, a rather above average intelligent Teenager, and even visited a school for the highly gifted. He regularly participates in history and geography betting part apply, participate in sports and also plays a main role in the school theatre.

First treatment of the mysterious disease

From the day that would change everything in the lives of the young, he developed a sudden massive mental problems, was constantly confused, restless, overwhelmed and even depressed. He described himself as the son of the devil, and had strong suicidal thoughts – from lunatic to be scared of himself. His suicidal thoughts went so far, that he also wanted to assassinate caretaker of people of his direct environment.

Finally, his parents take him to an emergency room and the attending medical team prescribed immediately a well-known drug called Aripiprazole for the treatment of schizophrenia. After a week in the hospital, the Boy was released, without the murder or suicidal thoughts he had. Slightly disturbed, he still looks.

The first signs at the age of nine

The doctors don’t know of the parents of the boys in the family, mental illnesses are rare. At the age of nine the Young boy was suffering from a depressive illness, because he was calls for his former school. The then nine-year-old was also being bullied from his classmates, he was above average smart but totally socially awkward.

By a change of school to a much smaller school for gifted children, the problems disappeared. In Parallel, he was treated with an antidepressant. After a year the drug could be discontinued, reports the medical professionals in the prestigious Journal of Central Nervous System Disease of the case.

The symptoms are getting stronger

At the age of 14 years, his condition worsened increasingly. A few weeks after his one-week stay in the hospital, irrational Fears, he gets hallucinations and unpredictable outbursts of anger. More strong delusions to define his thoughts, in which he has extraordinary powers. Even the house cat he, that they want to kill him. He also refuses more and more often to leave the house, which meant that his parents had to take him out of the school.

Outbursts of anger, and Fears to define getting stronger everyday

The 14-year-old Boy lives in a rural area of America, enjoyed a very nature-connected life with Hiking, gardening, and the Care of the animals of the in-house zoo. A few months after the outbreak of the disease, his mother quit her Job to have more time for the boy. In Parallel with his Doctors to try, and of Physicians the problems with the various medication to get a handle on. They prescribe for the young antidepressants, benzodiazepines, antipsychotics – often used in combination. But the problems remain.

Eleven-Week stay in the hospital yielded no results

After months of perplexity, his condition is deteriorating more and more clearly, and his parents bring the youth again to the hospital. This time, he will spend eleven weeks, in which the physician him from head to foot. From a scan of the brain to blood tests and Observing its nerve cells, but in vain. No Test was able to deliver clear results.

Occurring marks on the skin

When her son returns home, the parents that redness coating his skin, the look, such as pregnancy or stretch marks.

After a long ordeal – finally a diagnosis

Back for more weeks later, the stripes bring a physician to the crucial idea. The redness is not run like typical stretch marks where the skin is under tension. You have legs, instead, on the upper and in the armpit formed caves. In addition, the color is unusual.

Instead of a growth spurt or weight fluctuations indicate, are the stripes typical of a different, very rare disease, a neuro-bartonellosis, the bacteria affect the nervous. The pathogens (Bartonella Henselae) can be transmitted by bites and Scratching by cats. The diagnosis fits to the experiences of the young. Before the problems started, had to drop two of the family of adopted cats.

Two years and countless medications later

The doctors prescribe then the kid an antibiotic. Nevertheless, traces of the bacteria in the blood of the young are to be found two months later. With four other antibiotics, the treatment fails in the end. His mental problems disappear, even the strips of skin back to form. After the neurological medication can be discontinued. More than a year and a half later, no bacteria found in his body.

After a long Pause, the now 16-Year-old can return to his old school, where he quickly reaches again the best performance. Your child was completely healthy, reports the parent. Since his first murder, thoughts are passed this time, nearly two years, in which the Young of 27 different drugs.

Cat scratches need to be cleaned

Infections with Bartonella Henselae are treacherous. That’s why scratch wounds from cats should always wash with water and soap – and is best to be disinfected. Even if you can reach, such as in the case of the American Teenager the bloodstream, the typical signs of a bacterial disease. Add to that the neurological course of the disease, little is known, because there are hardly any recorded cases. The Boy has developed such strong problems could be related to a genetic predisposition, together, suggests the doctors. (fm)