Table 1

Diversity of chronic Lyme disease studies: populations, treatments, durations and outcomes.
Study
 Year
 Size
 Patient population
 Type of study
 Treatment
 Duration of Rx (days)
 Outcome
Dattwyler [20]
 1988
 23
 Late Lyme disease in the NorthEast (NE) USA
 Randomized trial
 IV Ceftriaxone vs IV penicillin
 14 vs 10
 92% responded to ceftriaxone, 50% improved with penicillin
Logigian [15]
 1990
 27
 Neurologic LD patients in NE USA
 Case series
 IV Ceftriaxone
 14
 63% improved, 22% improved but then relapsed, and 15% had no change in their condition
Hassler [19]
 1990
 135
 Stage three borreliosis manifestations of at least six months' duration in Germany
 Randomized trial
 IV Cefotaxime vs IV penicillin G
 10
 87.9% vs 61.3% respectively Full or incomplete remission of symptoms in.
Wahlberg [17]
 1994
 100
 Consecutive LD patients in Finland
 Case series
 IV Ceftriaxone, oral amoxicillin plus probenecid and/or oral cefhadroxil.*
 14 to114
 31% of 13 treatments successful with 14 days of IV ceftriaxone alone, 89% of 56 treatments with IV ceftriaxone followed by 100 days of amoxycillin plus probenecid successful, and 83% of 23 treatments with ceftriaxone followed by 100 days of cephadroxil successful.
Donta [18]
 1997
 277
 Chronic LD in NE USA
 Case series
 Oral tetracycline
 30 to 330
 20% of the patients were cured; 70% of the patients' conditions improved.
Logigian [16]
 1999
 18
 Neurologic LD in NE USA
 Case series
 IV ceftriaxone
 28
 100% of 18 patients rated themselves as back to normal or improved.
Klempner [14]
 2001
 107
 LD with persistent symptoms in NE USA
 Randomized trial
 IV ceftriaxone + oral doxycycline
 90
 40% vs 36% for treatment vs placebo in improvement in quality of life (SF-36)
Krupp [46]
 2003
 55
 LD with disabling fatigue in NE USA
 Randomized trial
 IV ceftriaxone
 30
 69% rx vs 23% for treatment vs placebo in the primary outcome – fatigue. No improvement on cognitive function or the clearance of Borrelia OspA antigen in the spinal fluid
Donta [25]
 2003
 235
 LD with fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and neurocognitive dysfunction in NE USA
 Case series
 Oral macrolide + hydroxychloroquine
 90
 80% had self reported improvements of 50% or more
Dattwyler [27]
 2005
 201
 Late LD in NE USA
 Randomized trial
 IV ceftriaxone
 14 vs. 28
 76% vs 70% clinical cure rates for 14 and 28 days respectively
Borg [26]
 2005
 65
 Neurologic LD in Sweden
 Randomized trial
 IV ceftriaxone vs oral doxycycline
 10 to 14
 79% vs 72% completely recovered, the remaining improved.

* Patients treated with different combinations of oral, IM or IV antibiotics and variable durations of treatment.

Cameron Epidemiologic Perspectives & Innovations 2006 3:12   doi:10.1186/1742-5573-3-12