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Updated: May 7, 2026
07:20
Detecting the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia Burgdorferi, in Ticks Using Nested PCR
Published on: February 4, 2018
Lyme carditis in an immunocompromised patient
1Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Florida, 1329 SW 16th Street, P.O. Box 1000186, Gainesville, FL 32610-0186, USA.
Case Reports in Emergency Medicine
|October 2, 2013
Summary
Immunosuppressed patients with tick-borne diseases may present atypically. Early antibiotic treatment resolved heart block in a liver transplant recipient, highlighting the need for vigilance in this population.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Cardiology
- Transplant Medicine
Background:
- Immunosuppression therapy, common in organ transplant recipients, can alter disease presentation.
- Vector-borne illnesses pose unique diagnostic challenges in immunocompromised individuals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a case of vector-borne carditis in an immunosuppressed liver transplant patient.
- To emphasize the impact of immunosuppression on the clinical manifestation and diagnosis of vector-borne diseases.
Main Methods:
- Case report of a 68-year-old male liver transplant recipient.
- Clinical presentation, diagnostic workup including electrocardiography, and treatment response were documented.
Main Results:
- The patient presented with fever, fatigue, and new-onset heart block.
- Despite negative vector titers, Lyme disease was suspected due to immunosuppression and tick bite history.
- Antibiotic treatment led to complete resolution of the heart block.
Conclusions:
- Immunosuppression can mask or alter typical symptoms of vector-borne diseases.
- Vigilance and consideration of atypical presentations are crucial for diagnosing and treating infections in transplant patients.
- Understanding the impact of immunosuppression is key for optimal management of this growing patient population.
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