Comparing Lyme Disease Meningitis with Viral Meningitis

Both Lyme meningitis (LM) and viral meningitis (VM) present as aseptic meningitis, primarily in the summer months. Therefore, differentiating between the two may be difficult. Because VM does not require treatment, whereas LM is treated with antibiotics to shorten the course and prevent sequelae, early, specific diagnosis is desirable. In this retrospective study of 179 children from Delaware, 10 met criteria for VM (cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis plus a viral isolate from CSF) and 12 for LM (CSF pleocytosis plus either positive serology for Borrelia burgdorferi or erythema migrans). All were older than two years of age.

The two groups had similar demographics, nonspecific presenting symptoms, and histories of tick bites. More LM pati…