Changes in spect brain imaging in pediatric patients with suspected neuroborreliosis: A series of 6 cases

Abstract

Lyme disease is a spirochetal illness transmitted primarily through the bite of ticks. The disease has a broad spectrum of comorbid conditions including osteoarticular, cardiovascular, and neurological involvement. In addition, clinical variability depends on the age of affected individuals. The Center for Disease Control recognizes the disease as an epidemic and mentions it to be a major morbidity burden in our environment because of the frequent lack of diagnosis and early treatment. Scientific literature mentions that Lyme disease is related to conditions such as fibromyalgia, autism, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, among others. Single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT) brain imaging is an indirect technique to measure cerebral blood flow and can be useful in diagnosing neuroborreliosis and monitoring treatment. We present a series of 6 pediatric cases with varied neuropsychiatric symptoms and suspected neuroborreliosis that showed abnormal findings in the cerebral SPECT.