tetracycline and Optic-Nerve-Diseases

Four patients from Caribbean and Central American countries with ocular disease and serologic evidence of Lyme borreliosis are discussed. To our knowledge this is the first report of Lyme disease from this geographic area. Two patients exhibited ocular inflammatory disease, and two patients developed optic neuropathy. A brief discussion of Lyme borreliosis, its serologic diagnosis, and its treatment is presented.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Borrelia Infections; Ceftriaxone; Child; Endophthalmitis; Eye Diseases; Humans; Intraocular Pressure; Lyme Disease; Male; Middle Aged; Optic Nerve Diseases; Penicillins; Tetracycline; Visual Acuity; West Indies

The incidence of Lyme disease has been increasing at alarming rates in recent years. Being the most commonly reported tickborne bacterial disease in the United States, it now outnumbers Rocky Mountain spotted fever by a ratio of almost 2:1. It is a multisystem illness and can manifest itself with dermatologic, neurologic, cardiac and rheumatologic involvement. The ocular complications of Lyme disease can present as one of the more ominous signs during the course of the illness. The detection of the disease and proper referral by the optometrist may permit more appropriate treatment, and thus, a better prognosis of the illness.

Topics: Bites and Stings; Borrelia Infections; Conjunctivitis; Eye Diseases; Humans; Keratitis; Lyme Disease; Optic Nerve Diseases; Papilledema; Penicillins; Tetracycline; Uveitis

Topics: Disease; Eye; Humans; Neuritis; Optic Nerve; Optic Nerve Diseases; Optic Neuritis; Prednisone; Tetracycline