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Reports
Late-Stage
Neuropsychiatric
Lyme Borreliosis
Differential
A.
BRIAN
M.D.,
FALLON,
M.P.H.,
ROBERT
ANGELO
yme
Borrelia
known
that
by
M.D.,
CHARLES
MICHAEL
R.
is a multi-
the
Although
spirochete
dermatologic,
ophthalmologic,
and neuroare well known,
it is less
psychiatric
disorders
may
also
Deprespsy-
chotic
states,4
bipolar
disorder,3
and dementia5
have been attributed
to Lyme borreliosis.
In this
report,
we present
two patients
in whom psychiatric symptoms
represented
tation
of their
late-stage
Specific
dilemmas
will be discussed.
of diagnosis
Case
Case
1.
healthy
Mrs. A. was
married
woman
headaches,
tigue,
and
slurred
memory
diplopia.
magnetic
loss,
a 34-year-old,
speech,
and
and
treatment
Reports
intermittent
exam
imaging
visual
was
normal.
revealed
(MRI)
blurring
Brain
multi-
ceftriaxone.
VOLUME
36 NUMBER
Within
3 MAY
2 weeks,
-JUNE
1995
Mrs.
A. s
F.A.C.P.,
M.D.,
M.D.,
WEBER,
F.A.R.A.
D.O.
ZIMMERMAN,
A.
F.A.R.A.
M.D.
LIEBOWITZ,
became
pressured
and her mood became irritable. She refused further treatment.
Over the following months, Mrs. A.s mood
fluctuated
from marked
agitation
to severe depression accompanied
by suicidal
threats. Auditory hallucinations
and paranoid delusions
emerged along
with a full manic syndrome.
She also became
violent-slapping
her son repeatedly
and breaking
speech
furniture.
proic
previously
BARRY
who presented
with frontal
distal
paresthesias,
fa-
A neurologic
resonance
the primary
manifesLyme
borreliosis.
and Treatment
SCHWARTZBERG,
M.D.,
disease)
caused
burgdoiferi.
articular,
cardiac,
logic manifestations
well
(Lyme
illness
M0RI
BRANSFIELD,
SCOTTI,
borreliosis
system
Diagnosis
cepted
acid.
Her
thoughts
Received
June
April
11, 1994.
became
18,
1993;
From
less
revised
paranoid
April
the Department
11,
and
1994;
ac-
of Psychiatry,
College
of Physicians
and Surgeons
of Columbia
University;
Division
of Therapeutics,
New York State Psychiatric
Institute;
Department
of Medicine,
Section
of Rheumatology,
Jersey
Shore
Medical
Center,
Neptune,
NJ; Department
Neurology,
Paul Kimball
Medical
Center,
Lakewood,
Departments
of Psychiatry
Center,
Redbank,
New York State
New
York,
New
Copyright
Medicine.
and Medicine,
NJ. Address
reprint
Psychiatric
Institute,
York
Riverview
of
NJ;
Medical
requests
to Dr. Fallon,
722 West 168th Street,
10032.
1995
The
Academy
of
Psychosomatic
295
Case
Reports
her behavior
less impulsive,
thinking
poor
she
and
was
discharged
disorder,
but intermittent
insight
remained.
with
manic,
with
the
illogical
After
diagnoses
2 months,
of bipolar
psychosis-improved
the following
During
illogical
thesias,
migratory
lancinating
Lyme
antibody
mildly
elevated
flu-like
test.
Ab
A.
was
borreliosis
articular
CSF
Lyme
(meningoencephalitis),
of intravenous
atric
of therapy,
and
week.
All
ones,
were
tained
for
Four
another
she
years
hospitalization.
toms
positive
given
physical
asymptomatic
the
This
15 weeks
and
by
psychi-
the
5th
week
by the 12th
psychiatric
remission
was
suggestive
MRI
showed
were
of active
Lyme
10 lymphocytes.
one
sus-
new
no physical
symp-
borreliosis.
A spinal
Although
conventional
habited
at a level
0.067).
The serum
der
assumption
the
related
given
and
to active
psychiatric
followed
improved
tapered
296
that
rapidly.
episode,
oral
psychiatric
Twelve
Mrs.
A.
valpmic
illness
months
remains
after
completely
She
were
the
she
rash,
area
she
headaches,
and
At times,
Physical
she
and
to a
previously
followed
joints,
stuttering,
aches.
in-
moved
recurrences
of Lyme distick bite or reexposure
to
known
and painful
she
heavily
low-grade
more
had
fevers,
severe
and
exams
by
severe
occipital
hyperacusis
neurologic
a flulater
headphotopho-
were
normal.
a positive
was
normal
on
Herpes
There
was
two
IgG
titer
Brain
(2.60).
MRI
occasions.
no known
history
of a tick
bite
or
rash.
months
after
onset
of illness,
area
she
a diagnosis
and
painful
joints
returned.
Fifteen
led
to a resolution
of the
fatigue
of
and
symptoms.
Twenty-one
irritability,
months
after illness
a spontaneous
onset,
panic
Ms. B.
attack,
obsessional
thoughts with checking,
and depression.
She was treated with clomipramine.
This
syndrome
then developed
into mania with rapid
mood swings (from grandiosity
to sudden tearfulness), suicidal thoughts,
paranoid delusions,
and
auditory
hallucinations.
Serologic
and routine
CSF
tests for Lyme
borreliosis
were negative.
She was
trusive
anti-
medications
and
swollen
developed
acid,
antibiotics.
no
When
months
Un-
was
of intravenous
Between
fam-
prob-
like
physical
Mrs. A. was
(lithium,
12 weeks
Her
episode
disease,
by maintenance
at 10 months.
manic
manic
medication
and
com-
(cutoff
CNS Lyme
perphenazine)
biotics
ond
Lyme
IgG
of 0.120
area.
the
migrans
thereafter,
her,
infectious
developed
(7 weeks).
Borrelia-specific
CSF
the
rural
Mrs.
left
a wooded area.
Case 2. Ms. B. was a 22-year-old,
healthy woman who in late summer
revealed
in the
Once
erythema
Shortly
was
upon
children
of mania.
presumed
by deer.
there
University)
plexes
for
history
in a Lyme-endemic
living
of normal),
mune complex
unremarkable
tests
family
was
the
antibody
shelter.
the
indirect
no
Nine
Mrs.
and
strain
and
developed
of a probable
A. was
including
lesion.
revealed
largein
Her
A repeat
matter
sugges-
neuropathies,
years.
episode
white
of symptoms
markedly
was
lems
a marked
husband
in a homeless
reunited.
bia.
Lyme
lymphocytosis
Mrs.
discontinued.
1.5
CSF,
her
of the manic
fatigue,
basic
persistent
continued
medications,
cell
myelin
normal
past
improved
immunosorbent
as having
ceftriaxone.
than
[including
and
apparently
rash.
symptoms
other
normal
and a history
migrans
clearneck.
imposed
After
suburban
positive
tests,
bands,
symptoms,
serologies,
erythema
were
MS) because
and cranial
(not
joint
tap
lived
ease,
a stiff
enzyme-linked
the
peripheral
of
CSF
re-diagnosed
fatigue.
central
and
revealed
oligoclonal
Despite
Mrs.
severe
neck,
elicited a history 2
Repeat
by
pares-
a stiff
persistent
symptoms
protein,
Lyme
protein].
arthralgias,
tests again
(ELISA),
assay
diffuse
by
serologic
count,
developed
and
pain,
of
earlier
Repeat
she
a rheumatologist
followed
irritability,
large-joint
spine
At this point,
years
8 months,
thinking,
In addition,
continued.
tive
she
ily
insight,
illness
family.
cause
and
MS.
ing
This
As
sec-
well.
PSYCHOSOMATICS
in-
Case
and diagnosed
hospitalized
lar disorder
der.
and
Her
possible
manic
lithium.
state
After
was
she
depression
to
of the following
and culminated
worsened
suicide
attempt
for
which
Mania
paranoia,
verbal
ritability,
and
auditory
she
was
violent
hip
and
and
with
knee
courses
pain,
were
and ocborre-
tried
Electroshock
success.
bathing,
returned.
After
kDa
Ms.
bands).
Bs
past
psychiatric
history
is unremarkfor
migraines.
for
nervous
Discussion
Mrs. A. and
disseminated,
36
NUMBER
3 MAY
and
JUNE
1995
The
Prevention
Centers
for
(CDC)
Disease
Control
epidemiologic
surveil-
criteria
for the diagnosis
of Lyme disease
require
a history of exposure
to a Lyme-endemic
area
and
following:
ripheral
either
1)
a physician-diagnosed
arthritis,
neuropathy,
neurologic
meningitis,
meningoencephalitis),
fects.
These
or cardiac
criteria
are
unduly
symptoms
(peencephalitis,
conduction
de-
restrictive
for
clinical
purposes
because
about one-third
of patients do not recall an erythema
migrans
rash and
because
serologic
testing
may be unreliable,7
with both false positive
and false negative
results.
The
serologic
tests
most
ELISA
and the Western
are being
standardized
chain reaction8
and
Further
complicating
tients
with
CNS
parently
normal
studies.#{176}In these
on the patients
ing the diagnosis.
commonly
blot,
such
the antigen
diagnosis
Lyme
used
are the
borreliosis
assays.9
some pa-
may
have
ap-
EEG,
MRI,
and CSF
Lyme
situations,
physicians
must rely
full clinical
presentation
in mak-
Lyme borreliosis
is known
to have protean
manifestations,
some of which do not include
any
of the typical
features
outlined
by the CDC. Some
of these presentations
are listed in Table
1.
Because
of Lyme
borreliosiss
ability
to
mimic
other known
diseases,
it has been dubbed
the new
lis-the
VOLUME
and man-
will be presented
two patients.
erythema
migrans
rash, or 2) serologic
evidence
of exposure
to B. burgdorferi
and one of the
of the diagnosis
lance
blurred
problems,
of antidepressants
ir-
symp-
cipital headaches.
Serologic
studies for Lyme
liosis were negative. An EEG was normal.
Additional
aspects
Diagnosis.
impulses,
Other
memory
different
agement
of Lyme borreliosis
with illustrations
from these
hospital-
along
hallucinations.
stuttering,
concentration
psychiatric
disorders.
In both cases, treatment
for
Lyme borreliosis
led to a marked
improvement
in both the psychiatric
and systemic
symptoms.
In both cases,
a return
of symptoms
occurred
despite
prior antibiotic
treatment.
In this discus-
dys-
in a life-threat-
emerged,
aggressiveness,
returned:
vision,
with
be severe-
controlled
continued
disor-
sion,
fluency.
Over the course
toms
bipo-
function-trouble
ized.
atypical
compulsive
partially
discharge,
ly depressed,
ening
as having
obsessive
Reports
Lyme
pear
great imitator.
former
great
borreliosis
psychiatric
as the predominant
disorders
symptom.
may
When
ap-
Lyme
borreliosis
is suspected
but not proven,
either
because
the clinical
profile
is not typical
or because the diagnostic
tests are negative,
some physicians
of antibiotics
as both
297
Case
Reports
TABLE
1.
Common
Disorders
associated
Lyme borreliosis
with
TABLE
neurologic
Bacterial
Acute:
or Typical
Aseptic
2.
meningitis
Group
A Beta
Streptococcus,
Haemophilus,
Meningoencephalomyelitis
nerve
palsies
(e.g.,
Bells
palsy,
Leptospira,
Subacute:
optic neuritis)
fatigue-like
syndrome
Depression
Viral
Insomnia
Mood
Less
lability
and behavioral
disorders
paraparesis
myelitis
Cerebellar
syndromes
Extrapyramidal
Seizure
burgdorferi,
Cytomegalovirus,
Epstein-Barr
virus,
Herpes
simplex
virus, Human
immunodeficiency
virus,
Influenza
virus, Measles
virus,
Papovavirus,
Poliovirus,
Rabies
virus, Toga virus
syndromes
Protozoal
Infection
Toxoplasmosis
disorders
Fungal
Dementia
Pseudo-tumor-like
Tullio
syndrome
Parasitic
disorders
diagnostic
improves,
With
(e.g.,
(e.g.,
ALS-like,
Cysticercosis
prior
to the onset
be considered
In the case
disorder.
are raised
by the
here.
of Mrs.
A., doctors
uncertain
whether
Lyme
borreliosis
the correct
or MS. These
similar
fluctuating
features:
not commonly
2 lists a variety
infectious
disin the differential
diagnosis
of any new psychotic
Different
diagnostic
issues
presented
of illness,
MRI lesions,
symptoms,
positive
central
prominent
and pehead-
aches,
migratory
arthralgias,
repeated
CSF
lymphocytosis,
and the remission
of articular
and
psychiatric
symptoms
after an extended
course of
disorders
and therapeutic
tool. If the patient
the diagnosis
is supported.
the exception
of AIDS,
infectious
that should
rash
Lyme
serologies,
ripheral
neurologic
syndrome
or anxiety
causes
of psychopathology
are
recognized
in this country.
Table
of medical
disorders,
including
cases
Infection
Coccidiomycosis,
multiple
grans
horn cell-like
disease
motor neuropathy)
Guillain-Barr#{233}-like
Psychotic
Cryptococcosis,
Histoplasmosis
disease
Demyelinating-like
sclerosis-like)
Anterior
diffuse
Infections
in children
phenomenon
Cerebrovascular
eases,
Borrelia
Coxsackievirus,
Enterovirus,
or hemiparesis
Transverse
two
Infections
in children
Common
Spastic
Hemolytic
Pneumococcus,
Meningococcus
Treponema
pallidum,
Mycobacterium
tuberculosis,
Whipples
disease
Radiculoneuropathy
Chronic
of psychiat-
Infections
Encephalopathy
Cranial
causes
Selected
infectious
nc disorders
were
initially
diagnosis
disorders
was
share
neurologic
symp-
antibiotics.
volvement
Confirmation
of B. burgdoiferis
inin the CNS came when more sensitive
techniques
were
used
to isolate
Borrelia-specific
antibodies.
Although
there is significant
in the clinical
phenomenology
between
borreliosis
and
MS,
Lyme
borreliosis
overlap
Lyme
is the most
parsimonious
diagnosis
when
extraneural
disease is present
(e.g.,
dermatologic,
articular),
when there is a history
of an erythema
migrans
rash and/or
positive
serologic
tests, and when
CSF oligoclonal
tein are absent.
bands
and/or
myelin
basic
pro-
The diagnosis
of Lyme borreliosis
in Ms. B.
was made based on the presence
of a multisystem
toms, demyelinating-like
lesions
on MRI scans,
and CSFlymphocytosis.
The diagnosis
was made
more difficult
by the fact that routine CSF testing
illness
that included
severe
headaches,
fatigue,
joint swelling
and pain, insomnia,
and memory
problems.
Ms. B.s initial Lyme tests were nega-
for
tive
Lyme
antibody
tologist
linked
and aggressive
B. burgdorferi
ratory
298
was
negative.
The
rheuma-
patients
mania,
psychosis,
behavior
to infection
with
because
of the clinical
and labo-
constellation:
this
a probable
erythema
mi-
except
positive
positive;
response
reinfection.
for a Western
blot
IgG
that
had
two
bands.
A more
recent
Lyme
test was
this may represent
a late-appearing
1gM
as has been described2
Ms. B.s psychiatric
or,
possibly,
symptoms
PSYCHOSOMATICS
Case
started
2 1 months
after the presumed
onset of
infection.
These symptoms
included
depression,
chiatric
disorder,
Lyme
psychiatric
disorder
that
paranoid
delusions,
bipolar
disorder,
panic
attacks, and obsessive-compulsive
disorder.
Worth
noting is that the influenza
epidemic
of the 1920s
was also associated
with obsessive-compulsive
disorder
in some patients.3
More recently,
a theory has been proposed
that links new-onset
ob-
going
ability
courses
sessive
compulsive
disorder
in children
to
neuroimmunological
dysfunction;
cross-reactive
antineuronal
antibodies
in some children
with
gered a psychiatric
mously
occurring.
obsessive-compulsive
to
antibodies
in her
with Group
A
Ms. B.s psyto psychiatric
infection.
However,
disorder
are
thought
medications.
instituted,
When intravenous
antibiotics
the psychiatric
disorders
resolved
idly.
presence
The
suggestive
of typical
serologies,
travenous
antibiotic
to a Lyme-endemic
of Lyme
Lyme
excellent
tained
Until recently,
a 4-week
course
of intravenous
antibiotics
was considered
curative
for patients
with symptoms
of CNS Lyme borreliosis.
Now it
is recognized
that some
patients
relapse
after
an initial
good response
and require
additional
courses
of intravenous
antibiotics.5
Patients
who are not treated
until later in the course
of
chronic,
with
to be more
relapsing
these
two
disorder.
patients.
likely
to develop
Such
Mrs.
A.s
was
the
Lyme
that
A.
thus
borreliosis
trig-
is now autonohad
borrelial
suggesting
ongoing
psychiatric
medica-
because
antibiotics
were administo treat her second
manic
be certain
that the psychiatric
would not have been sufficient
a
case
first antibiotic
treatments.
on lithium
dramatic
are thought
CSF,
and intravenous
simultaneously
psychiatric
the diagnosis
borreliosis.
Treatment.
Guidelines
Lyme
borreliosis
have
illness
tions
tered
that
disorder
Mrs.
to in-
all support
As already
discussed,
in
Lyme borreliosis
was redisorder.
In the case of
A., it is unlikely
episode,
we cannot
medications
alone
symptoms,
response
treatment,
area
were
rap-
borreliosis
triggered
a
is now unrelated
to on-
infection;
the spirochete
has an unusual
to resist antibiotic
treatment
much longer
of antibiotic
treatment
are needed;
or the
patient
was reinfected.
both cases we believe
lated to the psychiatric
Mrs.
Reports
Although
throughout
response
treatment
supports
infection.
Could
the
these
she was
her hospital
to the
main-
stay,
intravenous
the
antibiotic
assumption
patients
of Ms.
to all
of ongoing
have
been
rein-
fected?
Mrs. A. had moved
out of the Lyme-endemic
area where
she contracted
her initial
infection,
making
reinfection
unlikely.
Ms. B.
continued
to reside in an endemic
area and therefore
need
tients.5
for
How
long-term
does
treatment
B. burgdoiferi
Preclinical
to support
in some
evade
both
pathe
patients
immune
system and antibiotics?
Recent
studies
have identified
B. burgdo,feri
intracellularly
in human
fibroblasts6
and endothelial
cells.7 Because
organisms
with intracellular
localizations
are difficult
to cure, these
in vitro
second
observations
may explain
how B. burgdoferi
can
persist
in the human
host. Patients
symptoms,
manic
episode
with evidence
CNS infection.
Similarly,
psychiatric
illness
began
15 weeks
of intravenous
of oral antibiotics.
The persistence
otic treatment
Lyme borreliosis
VOLUME
of persistent
of symptoms
and 4 weeks
despite
antibi-
suggests
several
possibilities:
has nothing
to do with the psy-
36 NUMBER
3 MAY
JUNE
1995
including
psychiatric
ones,
may
worsen
during
treatment.
This
to the Jarischwhen antibiotic
treatment
for syphilis
is initiated.
Mrs. A. s first
manic
episode
may actually
have been precipi-
299
Case
Reports
tated or hastened
by the intravenous
antibiotic
treatment.
Ms. B.s clinical
condition
deteriorated dramatically
during
the first 2 weeks
of
area.
intravenous
thereafter.
of tertiary
borreliosis
perhaps
become
a relapsing
tion
antibiotic
treatment
only to improve
It is worth noting that, in the treatment
syphilis,
the Jarisch-Herxheimer
reac-
has included
less responsive
new-onset
Conclusions.
The
Lyme
tating
may be as diverse
with neurosyphilis.
borreliosis
as occur
vention
and
control
of
neurologic
years
psychiatric
early
this
presentations
treatment
keys
onset
M.D.,
because
emerge
infection,2
months
Lyme
trists need
borreliosis
to the
However,
may
the initial
of
and as debiliPrimary
pre-
are
epidemic.
symptoms
after
Failure
to
borreliosis
to recognize
chronic
active
Lyme
to progress,
infection
to
to antibiotics.
Therefore,
to keep in mind
when evaluating
psychia-
the diagnosis
of Lyme
a patient
with a new
or treatment-refractory
psychiatric
illness.
The authors
express
gratitude
to P. K. Coyle,
of the State University
of New Yorkat Stony
Brook,
who
conducted
the
immunologic
CSF
analyses.
References
1. Fallon
BA,
Nields
sychiatric
JA, Burrascano
manifestations
1992;
borreliosis.
of Lyme
neurop-
Microbiol
10. Coyle
Psychiatr
EL,
Kaplan
manifestations
RF,
of Lyme
Steere
AC:
disease.
Chronic
New
Engl
11. Pachner
neurologic
J Med
1990;
323:1438-1444
3. Fallon
Nields
festations
JA, Parsons
of Lyme
B, et al: Psychiatric
borreliosis.
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