Fatal pancarditis in a patient with coexistent Lyme disease and babesiosis
Abstract
A 66-year-old man developed fever, chills, myalgias, three erythematous skin lesions, and transient left eyelid lag. Because of persistent fever, he was hospitalized 4 weeks after the onset of disease; a peripheral blood smear showed Babesia microti in 3% of his erythrocytes. Eighteen hours later, he died unexpectedly. Autopsy showed pancarditis with a diffuse lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate, and spirochetes were found in the myocardium. Antibody titers to both the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and Babesia microti were elevated. The finding of spirochetes in the myocardium and the elevated antibody titers to Borrelia burgdorferi suggest that the patient died from cardiac involvement of Lyme disease.
Key Biomarkers
Symptom Clusters
Cited By (10)
- Disease‐Specific Diagnosis of Coinfecting Tickborne Zoonoses: Babesiosis, Human Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis, and Lyme DiseaseClinical Infectious Diseases · 2002
- Counterpoint: long-term antibiotic therapy improves persistent symptoms associated with Lyme diseaseClinical Infectious Diseases · 2007
- Fatal adult respiratory distress syndrome in a patient with Lyme diseaseJAMA · 1988
- Lyme disease: recommendations for diagnosis and treatmentAnnals of Internal Medicine · 1991
- Diagnosis of Lyme disease based on dermatologic manifestationsAnnals of Internal Medicine · 1991
- Immunoserologic evidence of coinfection with Borrelia burgdorferi, Babesia microti, and human granulocytic Ehrlichia species in residents of Wisconsin and MinnesotaJournal of Clinical Microbiology · 1996
- Persisting complaints attributed to chronic lyme disease: Possible mechanisms and implications for management
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