From Kitten's Claw to Vision Flaw: A Case of Pediatric Central Retinal Artery Occlusion Associated With Bartonella henselae Infection

Central retinal artery occlusion is rare in pediatrics and typically linked to embolic or hematologic disorders. The authors describe a 13-year-old boy with acute central retinal artery occlusion and elevated Bartonella henselae titers following kitten exposure. Extensive evaluation was unrevealing, suggesting a rare inflammatory association between cat scratch disease and pediatric retinal arterial ischemia. The main take-away from this case is to also look for infectious causes, which are rare and not the first to be investigated for during central retinal artery occlusion.