The expanding spectrum of cutaneous borreliosis

G Ital Dermatol Venereol. 2009 Apr;144(2):157-71.

Abstract

The known spectrum of skin manifestations in cutaneous Lyme disease is continuously expanding and can not be regarded as completed. Besides the classical manifestations of cutaneous borreliosis like erythema (chronicum) migrans, borrelial lymphocytoma and acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans evidence is growing that at least in part also other skin manifestations, especially morphea, lichen sclerosus and cases of cutaneous B-cell lymphoma are causally related to infections with Borrelia. Also granuloma annulare and interstitial granulomatous dermatitis might be partly caused by Borrelia burgdorferi or similar strains. There are also single reports of other skin manifestations to be associated with borrelial infections like cutaneous sarcoidosis, necrobiosis lipoidica and necrobiotic xanthogranuloma. In addition, as the modern chameleon of dermatology, cutaneous borreliosis, especially borrelial lymphocytoma, mimics other skin conditions, as has been shown for erythema annulare centrifugum or lymphocytic infiltration (Jessner Kanof) of the skin.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acrodermatitis / microbiology
  • Animals
  • Borrelia burgdorferi Group* / isolation & purification
  • Dermatitis / microbiology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Erythema Chronicum Migrans / microbiology
  • Granuloma Annulare / microbiology
  • Humans
  • Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus / microbiology
  • Lyme Disease / complications*
  • Lyme Disease / diagnosis*
  • Lymphoma, B-Cell / microbiology
  • Pseudolymphoma / microbiology
  • Sarcoidosis / microbiology
  • Scleroderma, Localized / microbiology