Tertiary Lyme disease; Stage 3 Lyme disease; Late persistent Lyme disease; Lyme arthritis

Chronic persistent Lyme disease can affect the skin, brain, and nervous system, and muscles, bones, and cartilage.

Symptoms include:

• Chronic arthritis
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Joint inflammation in the knees and other large joints
• Memory loss
• Mood changes
• Sleep disorders

Other symptoms that may occur with this disease:

• Abnormal sensitivity to light
• Confusion
• Decreased consciousness
• Numbness and tingling

A blood test can be done to check for antibodies to the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. The most common one used is the ELISA for Lyme disease test. A Western blot test is done to confirm ELISA results.

A spinal tap will be abnormal if you have central nervous system symptoms from the disease.

Images

Lyme disease - Borrelia burgdorferi organism

Ticks

Tertiary Lyme disease

Lyme disease organism, Borrelia burgdorferi

Deer ticks

Tick imbedded in the skin

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Lyme disease Overview

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Lyme disease Treatment

Review Date: 02/23/2010
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine; andJatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)