Vasculitis and stroke due to Lyme neuroborreliosis - a review

Infect Dis (Lond). 2015 Jan;47(1):1-6. doi: 10.3109/00365548.2014.961544. Epub 2014 Oct 24.

Abstract

Abstract Lyme neuroborreliosis (LNB) is a rare cause of vasculitis and stroke. It may manifest as subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, and most often ischemic stroke due to cerebral vasculitis. The vast majority of reported cases have been described by European authors. A high index of suspicion is required in patients who live or have traveled to areas with high prevalence of tick-borne diseases, and in the case of stroke-like symptoms of unknown cause in patients without cardiovascular risk factors. In this review, we also present four illustrative cases of vasculitis and stroke-like manifestations of LNB.

Keywords: Lyme neuroborreliosis; stroke; tick-borne disease; vasculitis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Borrelia burgdorferi*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lyme Neuroborreliosis / complications
  • Lyme Neuroborreliosis / diagnosis*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Stroke / diagnosis*
  • Stroke / microbiology
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vasculitis / diagnosis*
  • Vasculitis / microbiology