Outcomes of children treated for Lyme disease

OBJECTIVE: To study the outcome of Lyme disease (LD) in children identified in a total population survey of an endemic island. METHODS: We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study off the coast of Massachusetts. Twenty-five children who met the Centers for Disease Control case definition for prior LD were compared with 26 children without LD from the same community. All children with LD received antibiotics during the acute phase of their disease. All 51 children were invited for a clinical evaluation, including 12-lead electrocardiogram (EKG), and measurement of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi by antibody-capture ELISA and Western blot. RESULTS: At a mean of 3.2 years from the initial manifestation of LD, children with prior LD did not have a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal or neurological symptoms, examination abnormalities, abnormal EKG, or behavioral difficulties, compared to children with no history of LD. CONCLUSION: Children who receive appropriate antimicrobial therapy for LD appear to have no demonstrable longterm morbidity.