[Lyme disease or not ?]

Lyme disease is a complex pathology due to an infection by a spirochaete from the genus Borrelia. This infection results from a tick bite lasting more than 24 hours. Signs and symptoms are numerous and are usually classified in three stages: early localized disease, early disseminated disease and late disease. The skin, the heart, the nervous system and the joints are mostly concerned. It is important to distinguish the clinical manifestations of the disease from those that are sometimes associated with it but with no scientific evidence. The purpose of this article is to insist on which signs and symptoms can be related to the disease and on those that usually are not. Diagnostic methods and treatments are also discussed.