First description of recurrent pericardial effusion associated with borrelia burgdorferi infection.
Lyme disease is well known for affecting the myocardium in the form of carditis and dilated cardiomyopathy. Pericardial effusion associated with Lyme disease has not been described as yet. This article demonstrates a case of a female patient, 54 years of age, with Borrelia burgdorferi infection and associated pericardial effusion. Recurrent pericardiocenteses as well as conventional treatment of the condition were without success. Diagnosis of Borrelia infection and subsequent treatment with ceftriaxone led to permanent restitution of the pericardial effusion.
The Borreliosis Study Group, Department of Medicine, University of Graz, Austria.
R
R
Gasser
S
S
Horn
E
E
Reisinger
L
L
Fischer
R
R
Pokan
I
I
Wendelin
W
W
Klein
D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010490:Pericardial Effusion / Q000382:microbiology*