Sternoclavicular arthritis as a clinical presentation for lyme disease

Abstract

Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and can lead to dermatologic, neurologic, cardiac, and musculoskeletal manifestations. The arthritis of Lyme disease is typically monoarticular, with the knee being most commonly involved. Lyme arthritis of small joints has not previously been well described. We report 3 children who presented with sternoclavicular joint swelling and who were found to have Lyme disease based on enzymelinked immunosorbent assay and Western blot. This description of sternoclavicular Lyme arthritis highlights the importance of considering Lyme disease in the differential and diagnostic workup of new onset, small joint arthritis in patients presenting from or with travel to Lyme endemic regions.