[Complete heart block and Lyme disease: report of two different cases and literature review]

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Published on: February 4, 2018

Waldemar Elikowski1, Małgorzata Małek, Jan Flieger

  • 1Oddział Chorób Wewnetrznych Szpitala Miejskiego, ZOZ Poznań-Nowe Miasto, ul Szwajcarska 3, 61-285 Poznań, Poland. welikowski@wp.pl

Kardiologia Polska
|June 20, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Lyme disease (LD) can cause heart block, but two cases show varied outcomes. One patient recovered conduction after antibiotics, while another

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Lyme disease (LD) commonly presents with fluctuating heart block.
  • Complete heart block (CHB) in LD is typically reversible.

Observation:

  • Two distinct cases of LD with CHB are presented.
  • Case 1: A man with delayed LD diagnosis after syncope and pacemaker implantation experienced conduction recovery post-antibiotics.
  • Case 2: A woman with fatigue and flu-like symptoms showed CHB unresponsive to antibiotics, suggesting coexisting congenital CHB.

Findings:

  • Antibiotic treatment resolved CHB in one LD case.
  • CHB persisted in the second LD case, indicating a potential underlying congenital condition.
  • Variable clinical courses of cardiac involvement in LD are highlighted.

Implications:

  • Highlights the diverse presentations of cardiac Lyme disease.
  • Emphasizes the importance of considering coexisting conditions in atypical cases.
  • Informs diagnostic and treatment strategies for Lyme carditis.

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