Lyme Science Blog

Marvel and colleagues administered working memory tests to 12 subjects with Post Treatment Lyme disease (PTLD) and 18 healthy controls while undergoing functional MRI (fMRI). Investigators aimed to determine, using multimodal neuroimaging methods, how Lyme disease may affect the brain. A fMRI looks at the function of the brain by detecting the changes in blood […]

According to the authors, diaphragm paralysis as a complication of Lyme disease was first reported in 1986. Since then, there have only been 4 cases involving bilateral paralysis of the diaphragm, which can cause breathing problems in patients.  “… the presented case will be the fifth described case of bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis in the course

The young woman was admitted to the emergency department with acute pleuritic chest pain and shortness of breath. (Pleuritic chest pain is characterized by sudden and intense sharp, stabbing, or burning pain in the chest when inhaling and exhaling.) The woman exhibited only mild tachycardia (100/min). However, “Considering the suspicion of acute myocarditis, the patient

An 80-year-old man was admitted to a hospital in Pennsylvania, an area endemic for Lyme disease, due to increased weakness and confusion. He had “several days of nausea with decreased appetite, generalized malaise, fatigue, and weakness,” according to the authors. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies suggested aseptic meningitis. And a CT scan showed dilated ventricles. Treatment

How many patients who underwent surgery for coronary heart disease (CHD) had evidence of a prior infection with Borrelia burgdorferi (the bacterium which causes Lyme disease)? A study by Pietruszka and colleagues, “Serologic Status of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Patients with Cardiovascular Changes,” sought to answer that question.¹ The authors examined the level of

In their article “Lyme Borreliosis as a Trigger for Autoimmune Disease,” Yehudina and colleagues present a unique case in which an infection with Borrelia burgdorferi (the bacteria which causes Lyme disease) triggered the autoimmune condition, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), also referred to as lupus.¹ As the authors point out, “long-term exposure of the host’s immune

Lyme carditis often presents with non-specific symptoms, such as lightheadedness, syncope, dyspnea, palpitations, and chest pain, the authors explain. While an estimated 30% of patients exhibit no symptoms. The most common clinical manifestation “is AV block, which can be acute in onset and can rapidly progress to complete heart block,” writes Carnazzo. In their article,

In their article “Through the Eyes of Uncertainty: Giant Cell Arteritis and Lyme Neuroborreliosis in a Story of Vision Loss,” Wan and colleagues describe a unique case in which an elderly woman, who tested positive for both giant cell arteritis and Lyme disease, developed vision problems including an abrupt loss of vision.¹ An acute loss

Murison and colleagues discuss the findings in their report “Epidemiology and clinical manifestations of reported Lyme disease cases: Data from the Canadian Lyme disease enhanced surveillance system.”¹ “The results from this analysis describe the clinical manifestations associated with Canadian [Lyme disease] cases from the LDES system and show trends of LD diagnosis in several Canadian

In their article, “Bartonella- and Borrelia-Related Disease Presenting as a Neurological Condition Revealing the Need for Better Diagnostics,” Ericson and colleagues describe the case of a 61-year-old female, who experienced a painful bite while hiking in Minnesota.¹ It was diagnosed as a spider bite because of the two large bite marks present and the painful