Heidelore Hofmann

We report a rare manifestation of cutaneous borreliosis in a patient with pre-existing malignant lymphoproliferative disease, in particular chronic lymphocytic B cell leukemia (B-CLL). The patient’s cutaneous lesions were initially diagnosed histologically as leukemia cutis. Distribution pattern of the skin lesions were in typical localizations for borrelial lymphocytoma. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto was isolated and cultured from two sites (ear, mammilla). Antibiotic therapy improved the cutaneous lesions and the general condition of the patient. However, a second round of antibiotic therapy was required to resolve the lesions. At eleven years of follow-up the patient’s skin was clear and she still had a stable condition of B-CLL without chemotherapy. In conclusion, the patient suffered from Lyme borreliosis (Borrelia lymphocytoma) and the cutaneous symptoms were aggravated by the underlying condition of chronic B-CLL condition.

Lyme borreliosis is the most common zoonosis in Germany with an incidence of up to 138/100 000. More than 90 % of all cases show dermatological manifestations. Early manifestations are erythema migrans, multiple erythemata migrantia, and (less frequently) borrelial lymphocytoma. A typical late manifestation is acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans. Lyme neuroborreliosis is much less common with an incidence of about 0.8/100 000 inhabitants in Germany. Bannwarth’s syndrome (painful radiculoneuritis) is the most common manifestation of Lyme neuroborreliosis in adults followed by meningitis. International case definitions exist regarding the likelihood of Lyme neuroborreliosis on the basis of diagnostic test results. A CSF analysis should be performed in patients with suspected Lyme neuroborreliosis. The first line treatment for dermatological manifestations of Lyme borreliosis is doxycycline, in children and pregnant women amoxicillin. Doxycycline and beta-lactam antibiotics show similar efficacy regarding neurological symptoms and adverse effects for treatment of neurological manifestations. Treatment duration for early manifestations is 10 to 14 days, in Lyme neuroborreliosis it should not exceed 21 days. All manifestations, also Lyme neuroborreliosis, usually show a favourable prognosis after antibiotic treatment. Antibiotic treatment does not show any efficacy in patients with unspecific symptoms and concurrent positive anti-borrelial serology.