Lyme Science Blog

Lyme Disease Patients and Physicians: Different Points of View The relationship between Lyme disease patients and physicians can become strained when symptoms persist but clear diagnostic findings are lacking. A study by Raffetin and colleagues explored the perceptions, experiences, and frustrations of patients with suspected Lyme disease who had nonspecific symptoms without objective clinical findings. […]

High cost of treating Lyme arthritis in children with surgery In their article “The Impact of Operative Intervention in Pediatric Lyme Arthritis,” Tout et al. described 149 children admitted to a tertiary care children’s hospital in Pennsylvania who had been diagnosed with Lyme arthritis between 2008 and 2018.¹ All of the children met the CDC

Powassan Virus Meningoencephalitis: Case Report This Powassan virus meningoencephalitis case describes a patient who presented to the hospital with fevers, headaches, fatigue, and a history of night sweats, according to the case report, “Powassan Meningoencephalitis: A Case Report Highlighting Diagnosis and Management.” He had a history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), Lyme disease, and reactive

Physician Frustration With Lyme Disease Patients Some physicians report frustration when caring for patients with Lyme disease or suspected tick-borne illness. In a qualitative study, clinicians described challenges in counseling patients who arrive with strong beliefs about Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment. “Providers described challenges and frustrations in counseling patients with strong preconceptions of Lyme

Mitral valve dysfunction from Lyme carditis The 22-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with cardiac problems. He suffered from morbid obesity and  complained of chest pain and lightheadedness for several days. During his examination, he was sweaty with a fast pulse of 115. He also reported having an erythema migrans (EM) rash. Clinicians initially

Tick Bite Leads to Multiple Co-Infections Tick bite coinfections are more common than many realize. A single tick can transmit multiple pathogens simultaneously, leading to complex illness that may be difficult to diagnose and treat. This case report illustrates how one patient developed three separate tick-borne infections after a single tick bite. “Two days after

Bell’s Palsy Due to Lyme Disease Misdiagnosed, Patient Bedridden Misdiagnosing Lyme disease as Bell’s palsy can lead to severe neurologic complications if the infection is not treated promptly. This case illustrates how delayed recognition of Lyme neuroborreliosis left a young woman bedridden for months before appropriate treatment was started. Until recently, India has been considered

Can Lyme Disease Cause Bone Loss? Researchers have begun exploring whether Lyme disease can affect bone health. Evidence from both case reports and laboratory studies suggests that infection with Borrelia burgdorferi may be associated with bone abnormalities in certain situations. In a 2003 case report, “Bone marrow manifestation of Lyme disease (Lyme Borreliosis),” Kvasnicka and

Does Lyme carditis differ in children vs. adults? The authors analyzed charts of pediatric and adult patients with heart block and a positive Western Blot test for Lyme disease, who were hospitalized at Maine Medical Center. The study included 10 children and 20 adults who were admitted for Lyme carditis between January 2010 and December

Clinical presentation of Lyme disease in patients living in Germany The authors collected data via an online questionnaire from 252 Lyme disease patients and a control group of 267 healthy individuals living in Germany to examine the clinical presentation, including neuropsychiatric and psychological symptoms. The findings revealed that “Lyme disease can cause diverse psychological and