Radiology, Vol 154, 37-43, Copyright © 1985 by Radiological Society of North America
Lyme arthritis: radiologic findings
JP Lawson and AC Steere
Lyme disease is a newly recognized, multi-system disorder that may be
associated with chronic arthritis. Of 25 patients with severe arthritic
manifestations the most frequent radiographic finding was knee joint
effusion. Intra-articular edema was often accompanied by a continuum of
soft-tissue changes involving the infrapatellar fat pad, periarticular soft
tissues, and the entheses, which were sometimes thickened, calcified, or
ossified. Later in the illness, the joints of some patients showed typical
changes of an inflammatory arthritis, including juxta-articular
osteoporosis, cartilage loss, and cortical or marginal bone erosions. Less
commonly, other patients demonstrated changes more characteristic of
degenerative arthritis, including cartilage loss, subarticular sclerosis,
and osteophytosis. Joint involvement of Lyme disease has similarities to
juvenile arthritis and Reiter syndrome, but can usually be distinguished
clinically and serologically from these entities.
