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Treatment of refractory chronic Lyme arthritis with arthroscopic synovectomy
R T Schoen1, J M Aversa, D W Rahn
1Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510.
Abstract:
Of 20 patients who underwent arthroscopic synovectomy for refractory chronic Lyme arthritis of the knee, 16 (80%) had resolution of joint inflammation during the first month after surgery or soon thereafter, and they have remained well during the 3-8-year followup period. Three of these 16 patients who were more disabled preoperatively, still had mild functional limitation at long-term followup. The remaining 4 patients (20%) had persistent or recurrent synovitis. We conclude that arthroscopic synovectomy is effective in treating chronic Lyme arthritis in patients in whom the disease does not respond to antibiotic therapy.