[Erythema migrans borreliosis in the Federal Republic of Germany. Epidemiology and clinical aspects]

Abstract

A positive antibody titre against Ixodes-ricinus-Borrelia (burgdorferi), using indirect immunofluorescence or ELISA, could be detected in serum and (or) liquor of 935 (32%) out of a total of 2955 patients between January 1984 and July 1985. In 289 of these cases the typical clinical manifestations were lacking whereas a characteristic disease picture enabled a diagnosis to be made in 171 patients with negative or borderline antibody titres. The 1106 cases of infection observed covered all regions of the country. A typical clinical syndrome was seen in 817 (74%) of these. Most common were erythema chronicum migrans (n = 458) and meningopolyneuritis Garin-Bujadoux-Bannwarth (n = 404); in 42% of the cases meningopolyneuritis was preceded by an erythema. Arthritis (n = 63), acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (n = 72), carditis (n = 13) and lymphadenosis benigna cutis (n = 5) were much less common. Chronic Borrelian encephalomyelitis (n = 45) appeared surprisingly often (n = 45). The fact that in 73% of cases the various syndromes appeared alone, were double in 24% and combined only in 3%, illustrates the polymorphic nature of this disease.