Mini erythema migrans--a sign of early Lyme borreliosis.
BACKGROUND
An erythema migrans (EM) remaining smaller than 5 cm in diameter, called mini EM by us, has not been addressed in detail.


OBJECTIVE
To study the significance of the mini EM as a sign of Lyme borreliosis.


METHODS
Patients with suspected mini EM were retrospectively selected out of 257 consecutive patients with EM. The diagnosis of mini EM rested on the cultivation of Borrelia burgdorferi. Species and subtype analysis of culture isolates was performed using outer surface protein A (OspA) polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing of the OspA gene.


RESULTS
There was one patient with definite (0.4%) and another patient with a questionable mini EM. Borrelia garinii OspA type 6 was identified in the patient with the definite and B. burgdorferi sensu lato in the patient with the questionable mini EM.


CONCLUSIONS
The mini EM represents an important and apparently uncommon sign of early Lyme borreliosis.
Weber
Klaus
K
Dermatological Practice and Krankenhaus der Missionsbenediktiner, Tutzing, Germany. Dr.KlausWeber@t-online.de
Wilske
Bettina
B
D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001706:Biopsy; D025065:Borrelia burgdorferi / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004890:Erythema / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial