Common Neurologic Features of Lyme Disease That May Present to a Rheumatologist

Swati Govil; Eugenio Capitle; Alexandra Lacqua; Reena Khianey; P K Coyle; Steven E Schutzer

doi:10.3390/pathogens12040576

Common Neurologic Features of Lyme Disease That May Present to a Rheumatologist

Pathogens. 2023 Apr 9;12(4):576. doi: 10.3390/pathogens12040576.

Authors

Swati Govil¹, Eugenio Capitle¹, Alexandra Lacqua², Reena Khianey¹, P K Coyle³, Steven E Schutzer¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
² Department of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33486, USA.
³ Department of Neurology, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.

Abstract

Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) infection, has a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations and severity. Patients with possible Lyme disease may seek out or be referred to rheumatologists. Today, the most common reason to engage a rheumatologist is due to complaints of arthralgia. After skin, neurologic manifestations of Lyme disease are now among the most common. Therefore, it is important for rheumatologists to be aware of clues that suggest neurologic Lyme disease and prompt help from a neurologist experienced with Lyme disease.

Keywords: Borrelia burgdorferi; Lyme disease; neurologic Lyme disease; rheumatology; tick-borne disease.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.