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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Detecting the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia Burgdorferi, in Ticks Using Nested PCR
Published on: February 4, 2018
[Histopathology of lyme borreliosis]
1Service d'anatomie pathologique, CHU Tenon, 4, rue de la Chine, 75020 Paris, France. philippe.moguelet@tnn.ap-hop-paris.fr
Abstract:
Histological lesions due to Lyme Borreliosis are not specific and are generally characterized by a lymphocytic and plasma cell infiltrate around blood vessels. Nevertheless, the presence of plasmocytes in cutaneous annular lesions will suggest a diagnosis of Erythema migrans. The presence of tick mouthparts in an insect bite lesion is also evocative of a tick bite. If the diagnosis of lymphocytoma cutis is based on histology, only pathological clinical and biological findings will rule out a Centro follicular cutaneous B cell lymphoma. Plasma cells and ectatic vessels of cutaneous sclerous lesions may suggest acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans. Articular lesions are characterized by non-specific hypertrophic synovitis and peripheral nervous lesions by axonal neuropathy. Moreover, in situ characterization of spirochetes by silver stains or immunohistochemistry is not available in routine.
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