Complete heart block and Lyme disease

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Kardiol Pol. 2007 May;65(5):565-70. Links

[Complete heart block and Lyme disease: report of two different cases and

literature review.][Article in Polish]

 

 

Elikowski W, Małek M, Flieger J, Baszko A, Fagiewicz A, Wróblewski D.

Oddział Chorób Wewnetrznych Szpitala Miejskiego, ZOZ Poznań-Nowe Miasto,

ul. Szwajcarska 3, 61-285 Poznań, tel.: +48 61 873 91 58, +48 501 410 461,

faks: +48 61 873 91 60, e-mail: _welikowski_ (welikowski)

..

 

The most typical manifestation of cardiac involvement in Lyme disease (LD)

is a high grade and usually fluctuating heart block, which is generally

reversible, even self-limiting. Two cases of LD with a different course of

complete heart block (CHB) are described. In a 43-year-old man admitted due

to episodes of syncope, the diagnosis of LD was delayed - after pacemaker

implantation - when he developed joint and neurological symptoms. Following

ceftriaxone treatment atrioventricular conduction returned to normal. In the

second case of a 26-year-old woman, presenting on admission with fatigue

and flu-like symptoms, ECG showed CHB with a stable escape rhythm of about

52/min. Unlike the first case, she could recall neither a tick bite nor skin

rash, but epidemiological history and serologic test results were

indicative of LD. In this case, antibiotic therapy did not influence

atrioventricular block, which was well tolerated. This suggested the

coexistence of

borreliosis and previously unrecognised congenital CHB.

 

PMID: 17577848 [PubMed - in process]