A Case Report: Development of Lyme Arthritis despite 14 Days of Amoxicillin for Early Lyme disease

Author(s):

Noemie Schiever* and Romina Shahini

Objective: The development of Lyme arthritis in children is usually preventable by the administration of appropriate antibiotic treatment. This case report reviews the case of a three-year-old child who developed Lyme arthritis despite beginning antibiotic treatment of amoxicillin a month after the onset of his symptoms.

Method: A review was done by grouping 5 cases that were similar in terms of delayed treatment with a bad outcome. The patients were analyzed based on their demography, symptomatology, clinical course, management, and results.

Results: Of the 5 cases reviewed, 3 were said to have delayed antibiotic treatment, leading to poor results. In two cases, children over 8 years of age were treated with doxycycline and those below the age of 8 with amoxicillin. Those who failed to respond for the second round of treatment were considered to have antibiotic refractory arthritis.

Conclusion: Early treatment of Lyme disease can prevent the development of Lyme arthritis. Earlier treatment within one month of symptom onset prompts a better outcome. Although rare, another factor that should be considered is antibiotic resistance.