[Children Lyme Borreliosis: retrospective study of 16 cases]

Presse Med. 2011 Sep;40(9 Pt 1):e359-64. doi: 10.1016/j.lpm.2011.03.013. Epub 2011 May 5.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Objectives: Lyme Borreliosis exists in an endemic way for adult's in Alsace and the clinical demonstrations are well known. For children, there are no data in France. The objective of this study was to list the cases of Lyme Borreliosis seen in pediatric consultation in the Bas-Rhin and to study the clinical presentation.

Methods: We realized an investigation with 70 pediatricians of the Bas-Rhin between April 2006 and March 2008 which allowed us to count 16 cases of Lyme Borreliosis.

Results: It is about nine girls and seven boys, seven-years-old on average. Thirteen had an erythema migrans, two a neuroborreliosis and one arthritis of Lyme. Tick injection (notion established in 81 % of the cases) sat in upper limbs in the majority of the cases (39 %). The delay between the injection and the first signs was established in seven cases on 13 and varied from five to 30 days. The first signs of the disease appeared in spring or in summer for 81 % of the children. Amoxicilline was the the most used treatment for the erythema migrans; ceftriaxone for neuroborreliosis or Lyme arthritis. Those treatments were effective in every cases.

Conclusion: Lyme Borreliosis in children exists in Alsace. Its main demonstration is the erythema migrans, but there are also neurological and articular demonstrations. With an appropriate treatment, its evolution is excellent.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Endemic Diseases*
  • Female
  • France
  • Glossitis, Benign Migratory / diagnosis
  • Glossitis, Benign Migratory / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Infectious Disease Incubation Period
  • Lyme Disease / diagnosis*
  • Lyme Disease / epidemiology*
  • Lyme Neuroborreliosis / diagnosis
  • Lyme Neuroborreliosis / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Referral and Consultation / statistics & numerical data
  • Retrospective Studies