COMPARISON OF THE LYME BORRELIOSIS OUTPATIENT CLINICAL FEATURES IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS
Authors:   Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia, Sayfullin R.F. , Zvereva N.N. ,   Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia, Saifullin M.A. ,   Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia, Smetanina S.V. ,   Moscow City Infectious Clinical Hospital No. 1 of the Moscow Department of Healthcare, Moscow, Russia, Kardonova E.V. ,   Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia,   Moscow City Healthcare Department, Moscow, Russia, Shamsheva O.V. ,   Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
Published: October 2022

The polymorphism of clinical manifestations of Lyme borreliosis (LB) creates significant problems in the study of this disease. In addition to the variability in classifications used in Russia and abroad, the spectrum and the frequency of symptoms in outpatient and hospitalized patients with LB differ significantly, which makes it difficult for a physician to understand the clinical picture of LB. The purpose of the study was to describe the clinical picture of LB in an outpatient infectologist appointment conditions according to the E. Asbrink, A. Hovmark classification of Lyme borreliosis in children compared with adults. Materials and methods of the research: a retrospective single-center cohort study was conducted based on the analysis of the data from 213 outpatient records of patients with confirmed LB diagnosis, consulted by infectologist at the Moscow Infectious Clinical Hospital No. 1 of the Moscow Department of Healthcare (Moscow, Russia) in Jan. 2018 - Sep. 2019. In order to compare the clinical features between children and adults the patients were divided into 2 groups by age: adults (18 years and older) and children (1 to 17 years old). The confirmation of the LB diagnosis was carried out according to the clinical and/or laboratory criteria using enzyme immunoassay and immune blotting. Results: in the group of children (n=52), the median age was 6 [3; 8] years old, the proportion of boys was 44% (n=23, 95% CI 30-57%), girls - 56% (n=29, 95% CI 43-70%). In the group of adults (n=161), the median age was 59 [49; 65] years old, the portion of males was 29.2% (n=47, 95% CI 22.2-36.0%), females - 70.8% (n=114, 95% CI 64.0-77.8 %). The most frequently diagnosed was LB at its early localized stage, both in children (n=44, 84.0%, 95% CI 74.0-93.0%) and adults (n=123, 76.4%, 95 % CI 69.7-82.6%). No statistically significant difference was found (p=0.248). Erythema migrans (EM) was the vast majority of early localized stage manifestations in children (95%, 95% CI 88-100%). The incidence of EM in adults was not statistically significantly different from that in children (94.3%, 95% CI 89.9-98.1%, p=1.000). EM in children was most often localized on the scalp (46%, 95% CI 31-60%), in adults the most common localizations were the skin of the trunk and lower extremities (total 92.9%, 95% CI 87.8-97.0; n=118). Differences in the typical localization of EM in children and adults were statistically significant (p<0.001). In the clinical picture of the early localized stage of LB the fever was rare in both children (7%, 95% CI 4-16%) and adults (8.9%, 95% CI 4.3-14.5%) (p=1.000). At the same time, the regional lymphadenitis was detected statistically significantly more often in adults than in children (50%, 95% CI 35-65% vs. 26.8%, 95% CI 19.3-34.5%, p=0.005). Both groups showed a lower incidence of regional lymphadenitis during examination by an infectologist if the patient was prescribed antibiotic therapy at the place of residence, while statistically significantly more often in the group of children (34%, 95% CI 23-46 vs. 15%, 95% CI 8-23, p=0.003). Conclusion: the authors have described the spectrum and frequency of the LB clinical manifestations according to the E. Asbrink, A. Hovmark classification in children vs. adults. The influence of research conditions and the previous antibiotic therapy on the spectrum and frequency of the LB clinical manifestations detected during the initial examination was demonstrated as well.