A rare cause of reversible complete heart block

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Electrophysiology

Background:

• Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness that can affect multiple organ systems.
• Cardiac involvement, known as Lyme carditis, can manifest as atrioventricular (AV) block.
• AV block in Lyme disease is typically transient and resolves with treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the association between Lyme disease and atrioventricular heart block.
• To emphasize the importance of diagnosing Lyme disease in patients presenting with heart block.
• To illustrate a case where Lyme carditis led to complete heart block that resolved with antibiotics.

Main Methods:

• Case report of a 34-year-old male patient presenting with complete heart block.
• Diagnostic workup for potential causes of heart block, including Lyme disease.
• Treatment with appropriate antibiotics for confirmed Lyme carditis.

Main Results:

• The patient presented with complete heart block.
• Lyme carditis was identified as the cause of the heart block.
• Conduction returned to normal within days of initiating antibiotic therapy.

Conclusions:

• Lyme disease is a treatable cause of atrioventricular heart block.
• Prompt recognition and treatment of Lyme carditis can prevent permanent pacemaker implantation.
• Awareness of Lyme disease as a differential diagnosis for heart block is essential for cardiologists and infectious disease specialists.