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Meningoradiculoneuritis mimicking vertebral disc herniation. A “neurosurgical” complication of lyme-borreliosis

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Summary

We report on 3 patients with meningoradiculoneuritis (MRN) due to Lyme-borreliosis (LB), which presented clinically as vertebral disc herniation. In 2 cases the underlying infection was discovered only after unsuccessful neurosurgical treatment. In the differential diagnosis between MRN and disc herniation the following criteria are sugestive of MRN and should raise suspicion of a non-discogenic aetiology: History of tick bite or erythema chronicum migrans, fever or general malaise, monoor oligoradiculopathy with absent or insignificant lumbar pain and complaints of a burning character of the radiating pain. In suspicious cases we recommend blood investigations including antibody determination against borrelia burgdorferi and CSF investigations including cell count and cytology, protein and glucose determination, nephelometry and isoelectric focusing to exclude MRN and other conditions that may mimic disc herniation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland

    C. Meier & M. Mumenthaler

  2. University Department of Neurosurgery, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland

    H. J. Reulen

  3. University Department of Neuroradiology, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland

    P. Huber

Authors
  1. C. Meier
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  2. H. J. Reulen
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  3. P. Huber
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  4. M. Mumenthaler
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Meier, C., Reulen, H.J., Huber, P. et al. Meningoradiculoneuritis mimicking vertebral disc herniation. A “neurosurgical” complication of lyme-borreliosis. Acta neurochir 98, 42–46 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01407175

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