Lyme disease

Lyme disease, also known as borreliosis, is a controversial condition that is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi,with infection being via athe ixodid tick-borne vector. 

Terminology

Controversy around Lyme disease centres on chronic infection with some author doubting its existence ³. There are some terms that help differentiate these patients with non-specific symptoms of fatigue, myalgia, and arthralgia, from those with acute infection ³:

• post-Lyme disease symptoms: symptoms for <6 months
• post-Lyme disease syndrome: disabling symptoms lasting for >6 months

Epidemiology

Lyme disease is endemic in some areas of North America and Europe. 

Clinical presentation

Three disease stages have been proposed manifesting after the tick bite ²:

• stage 1: flu-like illness and enlarging skin lesion (erythema migrans) (2-30 days)
• stage 2: cardiac and neurological symptoms (1-4 months)
• stage 3: arthritis and neurological symptoms (many years)

Lyme disease has nonspecific symptoms with multisystemic involvement ^1,2:​

Pathology

Lyme disease caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted by the bite of the ticks Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus.

Disease manifestations can be multisystem and nonspecific includes ^1,2,4,5:

• cutaneous: erythema migrans
• CNS: peripheral neuropathy, radiculoneuropathy, myelopathy, encephalitis, meningitis, facial nerve palsy
• cardiac: myopericarditis, cardiac arrhythmia
• musculoskeletal: Lyme arthritis

Treatment and prognosis

Treatment is based with antibiotics depending on the stage of the disease and its severity ¹. There is no evidence that long-term antibiotic therapy is appropriate for patients with post-Lyme disease symptoms or syndrome ⁴.