IJERPH, Vol. 19, Pages 14893: Prevalence of Lyme Carditis in Patients with Atrioventricular Blocks

IJERPH, Vol. 19, Pages 14893: Prevalence of Lyme Carditis in Patients with Atrioventricular Blocks International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph192214893 Authors: Krzysztof A. Kaczmarek Katarzyna Szwabe Irmina Urbanek Pawel Ptaszynski Aleksander Strzelecki Jerzy K. Wranicz Iwona Cygankiewicz Infections with Borrelia may cause cardiac conduction system abnormalities, including atrioventricular blocks (AVBs). Therefore, we aimed to identify patients in whom Lyme carditis (LC) could be considered as the initial diagnosis among consecutive subjects who were referred for implantation of a permanent pacemaker due to symptomatic AVBs. To date, such a systematic evaluation has not been reported yet. Validation of the Suspicious Index for Lyme Carditis (SILC) in our study population was considered as an additional goal. We investigated consecutive patients with AVB admitted to our department for a pacemaker implantation. Serological diagnostic tests against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) were performed in those with no obvious cardiac causes of AVB. The final study population consisted of 130 patients (80 M, mean age 67.4 ± 17.6). Lyme carditis was assumed as the initial diagnosis in 16 patients (12%) based on ABV and IgM Bbsl seropositivity. The patients with LC were younger and more frequently manifested constitutional symptoms of infection and fluctuating AVB. The highest prognostic value for identif...
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research