Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans in children: Report on two cases and review of the literature

Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans is a late manifestation of European Lyme borreliosis and is characterized by high levels of borrelial IgG antibodies, slowly expanding skin redness usually beginning on distal parts of extremities, and corresponding histologic findings. It very rarely develops in children. The main prerequisite for the diagnosis is clinical suspicion. In the present article we report on two children with acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans and on the findings of a PubMed literature search on acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans in childhood, published in the past three decades.

The impact of immunosuppression on erythema migrans. A retrospective study of clinical presentation, response to treatment and production of Borrelia antibodies in 33 patients

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the potential influence of immunosuppression on erythema migrans, the hallmark of early Lyme borreliosis.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study to assess the impact of immunosuppression on erythema migrans in 33 patients with a malignant or autoimmune disease, chronic infection, or immunosuppressive therapy for organ transplantation. Only patients with active disease status and/or current immunosuppressive therapy were included. Pre-treatment clinical parameters, such as presentation of the skin lesion and presence of extracutaneous signs and symptoms, the disease course during a median follow-up of 9 months after therapy and serum anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies before therapy and by the end of follow-up in the 33 immunosuppressed patients were statistically compared with 75 otherwise healthy patients with erythema migrans. The 75 control patients were matched for sex, age and antibiotic therapy.

RESULTS

With the exception of the site of erythema migrans lesions, which were found more often on the trunk than on the legs in the immunosuppressed patients (vice versa in immunocompetent patients), we found no significant differences for all investigated parameters between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

It appears that immunosuppression does not influence clinical presentation, response to therapy, or production of anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies of patients with erythema migrans. It is thus not necessary to treat immunosuppressed patients with erythema migrans differently from immunocompetent patients.