Lyme Disease and the heart

[Claudia]

Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice:
July 2011 - Volume 19 - Issue 4 - pp 293-296
doi: 10.1097/IPC.0b013e3182002f4a
Case Reports

Lyme Disease Masquerading as Acute Coronary Syndrome
Tamez, Hector MD, MPH*; Gelfand, Eli MD†

Abstract

Lyme borreliosis is the most common tick-borne disease in the United States. It is caused by spirochetes of the Borrelia burgdorferi species complex. Lyme disease has a myriad of incident symptoms, which can involve the skin as well as the musculoskeletal, neurologic, and cardiovascular systems. Cardiac manifestations usually involve the conduction system, but it may involve the endocardium, myocardium, or pericardium. We report a case where Lyme disease initially presented with chest pain and ST elevations in the inferolateral leads suggestive of an acute coronary syndrome. Patient had myocardial involvement on magnetic resonance imaging. Twenty-eight days later in follow-up, he had atrioventricular conduction delay. Enzyme-linked immunoassay and Western blot were positive for Lyme disease (IgM and IgG). Signs and symptoms resolved after therapy with doxycycline.

http://journals.lww.com/infectdis/Abstr ... ry.20.aspx

[Pandora]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/scien ... l?src=recg
T.cruzi are hard to find if they are not looking for it and it too is steatlh and loves the heart.
The tests are just as bad if not worse than Lyme but should be considered knowing both.

[dlf]

I found a new case report and thought it would most appropriately be included in this thread: Full text including photographs.......

http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal/2017/ ... -patel.pdf

Lyme Carditis:

A Case Involving the Conduction System and Mitral Valve
LAKIR D. PATEL, BS; JAY S. SCHACHNE, MD, FACC

ABSTRACT

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne infection
in the Northern hemisphere. Cardiac manifestations of
Lyme disease typically include variable atrioventricular
nodal block and rarely structural heart pathology. The incidence
of Lyme carditis may be underestimated based on
current reporting practices of confirmed cases. This case
of a 59-year-old man with Lyme carditis demonstrates
the unique presentation of widespread conduction system
disease, mitral regurgitation, and suspected ischemic
disease. Through clinical data, electrocardiograms,
and cardiac imaging, we show the progression, and resolution,
of a variety of cardiac symptoms attributable to
infection with Lyme.