What organ systems are involved in Lyme disease?
The disease is often thought of as a “rash-arthritis” complex, but not all patients have rash or arthritis. In the United States, 80% of patients infected with B. burgdorferi develop the typical skin rash, ECM. Joint involvement is common with polyarthralgia, an early finding, and oligoarthritis, a later manifestation. In addition, the nervous system (both central and peripheral) and cardiac system are frequently involved. In Europe, where all three strains of Borrelia can cause infection, arthritis is less common but skin and neurologic involvement are more common.
