Lyme Disease Controversy: Use and Misuse of Language
Authors: Kenneth B. Liegner
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2002)

Letters5 November 2002Lyme Disease Controversy: Use and Misuse of LanguageKenneth B. Liegner, MDKenneth B. Liegner, MDArmonk, NY 10504Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-137-9-200211050-00028 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Dr. Sigal (1) avoids citing peer-reviewed literature documenting persistence of infection with Borrelia species on biopsy, culture, polymerase chain reaction, and autopsy in both animals and humans after intensive antibiotic therapy (2-5). In addition, cessation of treatment apparently related to refusal by an insurer to pay for it has also eventuated in the death of at least one patient with progressive neuroborreliosis (6).References1. Sigal LH. Misconceptions about Lyme disease: confusions hiding behind ill-chosen terminology. Ann Intern Med. 2002;136:413-9. [PMID: 11874324] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Preac-Mursic V, Weber K, Pfister HW, Wilske B, Gross B, Baumann A, et al . Survival of Borrelia burgdorferi in antibiotically treated patients with Lyme borreliosis. Infection. 1989;17:355-9. [PMID: 2613324] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Straubinger RK. PCR-Based quantification of Borrelia burgdorferi organisms in canine tissues over a 500-day postinfection period. J Clin Microbiol. 2000;38:2191-9. [PMID: 10834975] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Liegner KB, Duray P, Agricola M, Rosenkilde C, Yannuzzi L, Ziska M, et al . Lyme disease and the clinical spectrum of antibiotic-responsive chronic meningoencephalomyelitides. Journal of Spirochetal and Tick-borne Diseases. 1997;4:61-73. Google Scholar5. Barthold SW. Lyme Borreliosis.. In: Nataro JP, Blaser MJ, Cunningham-Rundles S, eds. Persistent Bacterial Infections. Washington, DC: ASM Pr; 2000:281-304. Google Scholar6. Liegner KB, Jones CR. Fatal progressive encephalitis following an untreated deer tick attachment in a 7-year-old Fairfield County, Connecticut, child [Abstract]. VIII International Conference on Lyme Disease and Other Emerging Tick-borne Diseases. June 1999, Munich, Germany. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Armonk, NY 10504 PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoMisconceptions about Lyme Disease: Confusions Hiding behind Ill-Chosen Terminology Leonard H. Sigal Lyme Disease Controversy: Use and Misuse of Language Raphael B. Stricker Lyme Disease Controversy: Use and Misuse of Language Leonard H. Sigal Lyme Disease Controversy: Use and Misuse of Language Andrew Lautin Lyme Disease Controversy: Use and Misuse of Language Edward L. McNeil Duration of Antibiotic Therapy for Lyme Disease Raphael B. Stricker and Edward L. McNeil Metrics Cited byTreatment of Lyme disease: a medicolegal assessment 5 November 2002Volume 137, Issue 9Page: 776KeywordsAntibioticsAutopsyBiopsyInfectious diseasesLyme diseasePolymerase chain reaction ePublished: 5 November 2002 Issue Published: 5 November 2002 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2002 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...