Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by BIANCHI, G.
Right arrow Articles by CIMMINO, M. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by BIANCHI, G.
Right arrow Articles by CIMMINO, M. A.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1990 British Society for Rheumatology

other

ARTICULAR INVOLVEMENT IN EUROPEAN PATIENTS WITH LYME DISEASE. A REPORT OF 32 ITALIAN PATIENTS

G. BIANCHI1,2,3,, G. ROVETTA1,2,3, P. MONTEFORTE1,2,3, D. FUMAROLA4, G. TREVISAN5, F. CROVATO6 and M. A. CIMMINO1

1Cattedra di Reumatologia, Universitd di Genova U. S. L. XVIII, Chiavari, Italy
2Istituto E. Bruzzone, Centro Reumatologico, Universitd di Genova U. S. L. XVIII, Chiavari, Italy
3Gruppo Ligure per lo studio della malattia di Lyme U. S. L. XVIII, Chiavari, Italy
4Istituto di Microbiologia, Universitd di Bari U. S. L. XVIII, Chiavari, Italy
5Istituto di Dermatologia, Universitd di Trieste U. S. L. XVIII, Chiavari, Italy
6Divisione di Dermatologia U. S. L. XVIII, Chiavari, Italy

Correspondence to: Correspondence to Dr G. Bianchi, Istituto E. Bruzzone, Viale Pio VII 36, 16148 Genova, Italy

Lyme disease (LD) is a well recognized multisystem disorder, caused by the spirochaete Borrelia burgdorferi. It involves the skin, nervous system and heart. Arthritis is described in 50—60% of American patients but seems to be less common in Europe. We studied the pattern of articular involvement in a group of 67 Italian patients with LD. Thirty-two (48%) of 67 had rheumatological manifestations. The prevalence of arthritis in our patients was 16/67 (24%), the remaining 16 experiencing only arthralgia. The pattern of articular involvement did not differ from the literature and was most often mono- or oligoarthritis with polyarticular arthralgia. We noted an early onset of articular symptoms (range 1—3 months). Incidence of early and late manifestations of LD were in keeping with previous reports. In addition, interpreting serological tests for antibodies against B. burgdorferi and the real prevalence of arthritis in LD is complicated by the possible existence of sero-negative LD and by the effect of early antibiotic treatment

KEY WORDS: Lyme arthritis, Infectious arthritis, Borrelia burgdorferi, North America, Incidence, Prevalence, Comparison, Antibiotics


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J. Clin. Microbiol.Home page
B. Jaulhac, R. Heller, F. X. Limbach, Y. Hansmann, D. Lipsker, H. Monteil, J. Sibilia, and Y. Piémont
Direct Molecular Typing of Borrelia burgdorferi Sensu Lato Species in Synovial Samples from Patients with Lyme Arthritis
J. Clin. Microbiol., May 1, 2000; 38(5): 1895 - 1900.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.