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Headache, fatigue not considered sequelae after Lyme neuroborreliosis
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The clinical recovery rate is about 73% in children treated for Lyme neuroborreliosis, and subsequent symptoms of headache and fatigue occur in similar rates between these children and children who do not have the illness, according to study findings published online.
To identify long-term outcomes in children with Lyme neuroborreliosis, Barbro Hedin Skogman, MD, PhD, of the Center for Clinical Research in Sweden, and colleagues studied 168 children, 84 of whom had confirmed Lyme neuroborreliosis and 84 controls. The children were all from an area in Sweden where Lyme borreliosis is prevalent.
The researchers said 61 of 84 children with neuroborreliosis completely recovered. Persistent facial nerve palsy was noted in 11 children, and other sensory deficits occurred in five children.
Despite some controversy over the best antibiotic treatment, in this retrospective study, “patients treated with oral doxycycline did not have a higher rate of sequelae than patients treated with intravenous ceftriaxone or penicillin,” the researchers said.
Despite earlier reports to the contrary, the researchers said they noted any difference in outcomes in those children who had a longer duration of symptoms before start of treatment.
Disclosure: Dr. Skogman reports no relevant financial disclosures.
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