Vesicular erythema migrans.
BACKGROUND
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. The characteristic rash, erythema migrans, is an early sign of the disease. Clinical criteria remain the "gold standard" for diagnosis at this stage of illness.


METHODS
Five (8%) of 65 patients with erythema migrans seen in a Lyme disease diagnostic center in Westchester County, New York, had a lesion with vesicles. Borrelia burgdorferi was cultured from two of five. In one case the positive culture came from a swab of the blister fluid.


CONCLUSIONS
Recognition of erythema migrans and its variants is important, since early treatment of Lyme disease may prevent late complications. Vesicular erythema migrans should be added to the differential diagnosis of inflammatory vesicular rashes in the appropriate clinical setting.
Goldberg
N S
NS
Department of Dermatology, New York Medical College, Valhalla 10595.
Forseter
G
G
Nadelman
R B
RB
Schwartz
I
I
Jorde
U
U
McKenna
D
D
Holmgren
D
D
Bittker
S
S
Montecalvo
M
M
Wormser
G P
GP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015787:Erythema Chronicum Migrans / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction