Larry Hand
November 04, 2014
JAMA Intern Med.
Lyme Misdiagnosis Can Divert Patients From Correct Treatment
Misdiagnosis of chronic Lyme disease can cause delays in diagnosis and treatment for the actual conditions, according to a research letter published online November 3 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Christina Nelson, MD, MPH, from the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, write that chronic Lyme disease "is a loosely defined diagnosis given by a small number of physicians — who are not usually infectious disease experts — to patients with various nonspecific symptoms, including patients with no objective evidence of Lyme disease."
The authors list the clinical features of Lyme disease as including erythema migrans rash, facial palsy, arthritis, and peripheral neuropathy.
They present three cases in which a misdiagnosis of chronic Lyme disease led to delayed diagnosis of the real problem and harm to the individuals.
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The authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
JAMA Intern Med. Published online November 3, 2014. http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article ... id=1921752