Unilateral Blindness Caused by Infection with the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi
Authors: ALLEN C. STEERE
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1985)

Brief Reports1 September 1985Unilateral Blindness Caused by Infection with the Lyme Disease Spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferiALLEN C. STEERE, M.D., PAUL H. DURAY, M.D., DANNY J. H. KAUFFMANN, M.D., GARY P. WORMSER, M.D.ALLEN C. STEERE, M.D., PAUL H. DURAY, M.D., DANNY J. H. KAUFFMANN, M.D., GARY P. WORMSER, M.D.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-103-3-382 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptLyme disease, a tick-borne spirochetal infection (1), often begins with a characteristic skin lesion, erythema chronicum migrans, which may be followed by neurologic, cardiac, or joint abnormalities (2, 3). Conjunctivitis may occur early in the illness (3), but other ophthalmologic manifestations have not been reported. We report the case of a patient who, 4 weeks after the onset of erythema chronicum migrans, developed unilateral iritis followed by panophthalmitis. Spirochetes were found in specimens of vitreous debris obtained at surgery.On 15 July 1982, a 45-year-old woman from Westchester County, New York, developed severe headache, light-headedness, chills, fever, nausea, and vomiting...References1. STEEREGRODZICKIKORNBLATT ARA. The spirochetal etiology of Lyme disease. N Engl J Med. 1983;308:733-40. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. STEEREMALAWISTAHARDINRUDDYASKENASEANDIMAN ASJSPW. Erythema chronicum migrans and Lyme arthritis: the enlarging clinical spectrum. Ann Intern Med. 1977;86:685-98. LinkGoogle Scholar3. STEEREBARTENHAGENCRAFT ANJ. The early clinical manifestations of Lyme disease. Ann Intern Med. 1983;99:76-82. LinkGoogle Scholar4. VAN ORDENGREER AP. Modification of the Dieterle spirochete stain. J Histotech. 1977;1:51-3. CrossrefGoogle Scholar5. STEEREHUTCHINSONRAHN AGD. Treatment of the early manifestations of Lyme disease. Ann Intern Med. 1983;99:22-6. LinkGoogle Scholar6. JOHNSONMAREKKODNER RNC. Infection of Syrian hamsters with Lyme disease spirochetes. J Clin Microbiol. 1984;20:1099-101. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. ALEXANDERBAERFAIR AAJ. Leptospiral uveitis: report of a bacteriologically confirmed case. AMA Arch Ophthalmol. 1952;48:292. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. MOORE J. Syphilitic iritis. Am J Ophthalmol. 1931;14:110-22. CrossrefGoogle Scholar9. ROSSSUTTON WH. Acquired syphilitic uveitis. Arch Ophthalmol. 1980;98:496-8. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. SOUTHERNSANFORD PJ. Relapsing fever: a clinical and microbiological review. Medicine. 1969;48:129-49. CrossrefGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: ALLEN C. STEERE, M.D.; PAUL H. DURAY, M.D.; DANNY J. H. KAUFFMANN, M.D.; GARY P. WORMSER, M.D.Affiliations: Yale University School of Medicine New Haven, Connecticut New York Medical College Valhalla, New York PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byRevenge of the Tick: Tick-Borne Diseases and the Eye in the Age of Climate Change and GlobalisationNon-neoplastic Pathology of the Uveal TractSpirochetal uveitis: Spectrum of clinical manifestations, diagnostic and therapeutic approach, final outcome and epidemiological dataEndogenous Endophthalmitis: Etiology and TreatmentLyme-associated uveitis: Clinical spectrum and review of literatureNon-neoplastic Pathology of the Uveal TractSpirochetal DiseasesLyme borreliosis–from tick bite to diagnosis and treatmentOcular manifestations of tick-borne diseasesThe eye and tick-borne disease in the United StatesNo Value for Routine Serologic Screening for B orrelia burgdorferi in Patients With Uveitis in the NetherlandsBorreliosis (Lyme Disease)Lyme BorreliosisDiagnosis of Borrelia-associated uveitis in two horsesDifficulties of Interpreting Borrelia Serology in Patients with UveitisLyme optic neuritisLyme diseaseSpirochetal DiseasesUvéites dues à la maladie de LymeOcular zoonosesBORRELIA (LYME DISEASE)High Prevalence of Fastidious Bacteria in 1520 Cases of Uveitis of Unknown EtiologySpirochetal Infections and the EyeGenetics of Birdshot ChorioretinopathySur quels éléments cliniques, épidémiologiques et biologiques faut-il évoquer la maladie de Lyme? 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MERTZ, M.D. 1 September 1985Volume 103, Issue 3Page: 382-384KeywordsBorrelia burgdorferiErythema chronicumInfectious diseasesLyme diseaseMedical servicesNauseaSkin infectionsSpirochetesSurgeryVomiting ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 September 1985 PDF downloadLoading ...