Chronic Peripheral Neuropathy

Abstract

Peripheral neuropathy is one of the main manifestations of early disseminated Lyme borreliosis. It is well known as lymphocytic meningoradiculoneuritis (Bannwarth’s syndrome) and has a self-limiting course of less than 6 months in most cases (see Chap. 11). However, cases of chronic peripheral neuropathy in late or chronic Lyme borreliosis are less well known. They may occur together with other manifestations of late Lyme borreliosis such as acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA) (Hopf 1966, 1975; Kaiser 1972; Kristoferitsch et al. 1988; Kristoferitsch 1989) and chronic arthritis (Halperin et al. 1987, 1988, 1990), or they may on rare occasions represent a non-self-limiting form of Bannwarth’s syndrome (Weder et al. 1987; Wokke et al. 1987 a, b; Martin et al. 1988). There is some evidence that chronic peripheral neuropathy without meningeal inflammation and without other manifestations of late Lyme borreliosis also exists (Klöter et al. 1986; Meier et al. 1989).