Lyme Arthritis as the Incorrect Diagnosis in Pediatric and Adolescent Fibromyalgia

Abstract

In areas endemic for Lyme disease there is increasing concern and anxiety about possible chronic and untreatable manifestations of the disease. The authors have diagnosed fibromyalgia in many patients with chronic musculoskeletal complaints in whom chronic Lyme arthritis had previously been diagnosed as the cause of their joint pains. Fibromyalgia is a common disorder, causing arthralgia (not true arthritis), fatigue, and debility. The repeated and/or long-term antibiotic therapy prescribed for "chronic Lyme disease" is not successful in curing the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Especially in areas where anxiety about Lyme disease is great, it is important to be careful in diagnosing chronic Lyme disease. Fibromyalgia is a potentially treatable and curable cause of chronic complaints and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of "refractory Lyme arthritis."