For patients with antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis, "arthroscopic synovectomy is a reasonable treatment option," the authors wrote, alluding to small case series demonstrating marked resolution of joint inflammation and maintained improvement follow the surgical procedure in treatment-refractory patients.
Increased awareness of the symptoms and risk factors associated with Lyme disease is needed to improve detection and treatment of Lyme arthritis, and further research is warranted to better distinguish between Lyme arthritis and other types of arthritis in symptomatic patients because the management approaches are inherently different, the authors concluded.
Dr. Smith disclosed a financial relationship with Stryker. Study coauthor Dr. Eugene D. Shapiro, also of Yale University, disclosed affiliations with the American Board of Pediatrics' Board on Infectious Diseases, and the American Lyme Disease Foundation.