Poliomyelitis-like syndrome with matching magnetic resonance features in a case of Lyme neuroborreliosis

BMJ Case Rep. 2009:2009:bcr08.2008.0771. doi: 10.1136/bcr.08.2008.0771. Epub 2009 Feb 2.

Abstract

Lyme disease is a multisystemic disorder caused by an epizootic organism of the spirochete group, called Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans by ticks of the genus Ixodes. Lyme neuroborreliosis may occur during the early dissemination phase, most often as a painful meningo-radiculitis and very rarely as a radiculo-myelitis, whereas encephalomyelitis is observed in the late phase. We report the case of a patient with an early subacute poliomyelitis-like syndrome closely matching the selective involvement of the anterior horns and roots of the cervical spinal cord seen on magnetic resonance imaging. This condition improved with appropriate antibiotics.