METHOD OF DIAGNOSIS OF NON-ERYTHEMATOUS LYME DISEASE

Abstract

The aim of the study to propose a method for the diagnosis of non-erhythematic Lyme disease by means of thermography examination of patients.

Patients and methods. 33 patients with Lyme borreliosis were observed: 12 people with non-erythematous and little symptomatic form of the disease, 21 – with erythema migrans (skin form). Patients ranged in age from 24 to 49 years, with an average age (34.3±1.5) years. Among the surveyed, there were 15 (45.4 %) men and 18 (54.5 %) women. The presence of a non-erythematous form of Lyme disease was diagnosed by local inflammation of the skin at the site of the tick bite in the form of its minor hyperthermia (∆T=0.6-1.1 °C), which was maintained for two or more weeks. TI-120 medical imager (China) was used. The thermograms were analyzed using the «IRSee Software» package.

Results. The method of distance thermography allows for quick diagnosis of the non-erythematous form of Lyme disease, so it is advisable to use it in practical medicine.

Conclusion. On thermograms of the ticks bites areas of patients with non-erythematous and little symptomatic form of Lyme disease with the help of a thermal imager, always registered the presence of local «warming up». At the same time, almost every fourth such person ∆T was in the range 0.6-1.1 °С, in half – 1.2-1.6 °С and only 16.7 % exceeded 1.6 °С. Local «warming up» of sites of bite by ticks more than 1.6 °С was almost twice more often observed in patients with erythema migrans than in non-erythematous form.