ABSTRACT
Background: The Borrelia species is recognized to cause a myriad of non-specific symptoms among Lyme patients. It has also been documented in the literature to have the ability to incite autoimmune responses. Despite this, very few clinical cases have ever put together the autoimmune connection to such infections, including in Crohn's disease. Case Presentation: A 14-year-old adolescent male with a previous diagnosis of Crohn's disease was discovered to have underlying Lyme disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi infection. Identifying this as a potential cause of his autoimmune condition, an integrative medical approach was initiated, resulting in successful treatment and complete remission. Conclusions: Lyme disease should be recognized as a potential trigger of autoimmune conditions, especially Crohn's disease. This underlying cause is novel to the literature and may help many patients obtain the proper diagnosis so that curative treatment may be received.
