A Case of Lyme Disease Followed by Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome

Lyme disease caused by Borrelia species is transmitted via infected tick bites. Erythema migrans, a typical skin lesion on the tick-bitten site, is a hallmark of Lyme disease. A 63-year-old female presented an erythematous, semi-circular patch in the left inguinal area. It disappeared spontaneously without treatment. However, after 3 months, an erythematous patch with a diameter of 1 cm recurred on the left thigh. B. burgdorferi antibody testing revealed positive results. At the second visit, doxycycline was prescribed, and the skin lesion was resolved. However, the patient exhibited persistent systemic symptoms, including arthralgia and fatigue, and was diagnosed with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). The PTLDS prognosis is associated with delayed diagnosis. Thus, antibiotic treatment should be promptly initiated after suspecting Lyme disease to minimize the associated systemic symptoms. PTLDS diagnosis should be followed by proper medical care to alleviate the symptoms.