Central Nervous System Involvement in Lyme Disease - Making the Diagnosis and Choosing the Correct Treatment

Lyme Meningoradiculitis: Case Reports and Literature Review

“…Lyme disease is the most common arthropod-borne infection in the Northern Hemisphere with an incidence of 9.7 cases per 100000 population in the United States (US). It is a multisystemic inflamatory disease caused by the three species of the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. afzelii and B. garinii), which is transmitted to human beings through bites of the infected Ixodes ticks [1,2]. The hematogenous dissemination will be followed by the systemic manifestations of the disease, caused by the involvment of the dermatologic, cardiac, neurologic and musculoskeletal systems.…”

“…The hematogenous dissemination will be followed by the systemic manifestations of the disease, caused by the involvment of the dermatologic, cardiac, neurologic and musculoskeletal systems. Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) will develop in about 8% of the patients with Lyme disease in US and 16-46% in Europe [1][2][3].…”

“…As in the case of another spirochete infection, Treponema pallidum, that causes syphilis, the neurological manifestations in LNB are protean, depending on the clincal stage at presentation [1]. The most frequent signs and symptoms of LNB in the early stages are lymphocytic meningitis, cranial nerve palsies and radiculopathy, while peripheral neuropathy, encephalomyelitis and mild encephalopathy are encountered in the late stages of the disease [4][5][6][7].…”