[Neuroborreliosis during relapsing fever and a case report]

ABSTRACT

Relapsing fever is a spirochetal disease that is caused by different Borrelia species. Relapsing fever is well recognized as an infection of the blood, characterized with episodes of fever, rigor and spirochetemia; but little is known about its predilection for nervous system. This report is supposed to present a patient with neuroborreliosis during relapsing fever. The presented patient in this paper is a 22 year old woman from Afghanistan with clinical features of meningitis and recurrent episodes of fever with rigor. In diagnostic evaluation, the patient had a CSF profile with aseptic meningitis pattern, and in third time peripheral blood smear spirochet was reported. With diagnosis of meningitis during relapsing fever, she was treated by intravenous ceftriaxone. With administration of first dose of ceftriaxone, Jarisch - Herxheimer reaction occurred. Patient was treated for 14 days by intravenous ceftriaxone. At the end of treatment, the patient was symptom free and had a normal CSF profile. Therefore patient was discharged. In the patients with aseptic meningitis in endemic regions, besides common agents, relapsing fever should also be considered