Bone & joints
Arthritis
Lyme arthritis
Author: Vijay Shankar, M.D.
Last author update: 1 March 2013
Last staff update: 20 September 2023
Copyright: 2002-2024, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Chronic Lyme disease [title]
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Clinical images | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) images | Positive stains | Electron microscopy descriptionCite this page: Shankar V. Lyme arthritis. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/jointslyme.html. Accessed December 22nd, 2024.
Definition / general
- Due to infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, a spirochete transmitted by Ixodes tick; joints affected weeks to years later
- Causes chronic arthritis of large joints with pannus formation in 10%
- Also affects skin, heart, nervous system
- Precise pathophysiology of disease unknown but involves intricate network of vector, bacterial and host factors (Clin Vaccine Immunol 2008;15:21)
- "Amber theory": disease due to infection of structures close to joint space, followed by entry of nonviable bacteria and debris into joint space, eliciting inflammatory response (Clin Rheumatol 2012;31:989)
Clinical images
Images hosted on other servers:
Erythema migrans skin lesion
Bullseye rash
Lyme arthritis of right knee
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Chronic papillary synovitis with hyperplasia, fibrin deposition, mononuclear cell infiltrates, onion skin thickening of arterial walls; resembles rheumatoid arthritis
- Perineuritis may be present
Microscopic (histologic) images
Images hosted on other servers:
Borrelia burgdorferi
Positive stains
- Silver stain highlights bacteria
Electron microscopy description
- Surface fibrin-like material, thickened synovial lining cell layer, evidence of vascular injury, Borrelia-like structures in synovial membranes and some synovial fluid cell samples (Hum Pathol 1996;27:1025)
