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[Is cardiac involvement found also in European erythema migrans borreliosis?]
D Hassler1, G Zipperle, R Ackermann
1Medizinisch-Diagnostisches Laboratorium Dr. Lempfrid, Köln 1.
Insights
Borrelia burgdorferi infection can cause persistent cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation and nodal arrhythmias, in adults. Specific antibiotic treatment effectively resolved these difficult-to-treat heart rhythm issues.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
Background:
- Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of Lyme disease.
- Lyme disease is known to cause cardiac manifestations.
- Cardiac arrhythmias can be a challenging complication of infections.
Abstract:
During an infection with Borrelia burgdorferi two men (aged 59 and 61 years, respectively) developed long-lasting cardiac arrhythmias which proved difficult to treat (tachycardias; in one patient due to atrial fibrillation, and also nodal arrhythmias). The cardiac signs completely regressed after specific antibiotic treatment, supporting the view that the cardiac involvement was due to borrelia infection, as is known to have occurred with Lyme disease reported from the USA.