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Table 2 Age, gender and clinical characteristics of children with Lyme neuroborreliosis, on admission and at the 2-month follow-up in the two antibiotic treatment groups

From: Effectiveness of antibiotic treatment in children with Lyme neuroborreliosis - a retrospective study

 

Ceftriaxone i.v.

Doxycycline p.o.

(n = 194)

(n = 127)

Age, median (range)

6 (1–18)

10 (4–19)

Gender

 Female, n (%)

91 (47)

55 (43)

 Male, n (%)

103 (53)

72 (57)

Major symptoms and signs on admissiona

 Facial nerve palsy, n (%)

122 (63)

89 (70)

 Headache, n (%)

121 (62)

89 (70)

 Fatigue, n (%)

139 (72)

84 (66)

 Loss of appetite, n (%)

93 (48)

58 (46)

 Fever, n (%)

83 (43)

55 (43)

 Neck pain, n (%)

70 (36)

54 (43)

 Neck stiffness, n (%)

43 (22)

42 (33)

 Nausea, n (%)

40 (21)

35 (28)

 Radiant pain, n (%)

32 (16)

21 (17)

 Vertigo, n (%)

19 (10)

21 (17)

Duration of neurological symptoms on admission

 1 week, n (%)

91 (47)

51 (40)

 2 weeks, n (%)

51 (27)

52 (41)

 3–4 weeks, n (%)

33 (17)

17 (13)

  > 1 month, n (%)

18 (9)

7 (6)

Laboratory findings

 Pleocytosis in CSF, median (range)b

143 (5–1280)

163 (5–634)

 Anti-Borrelia antibodies in CSF, n (%)c

149 (77)

80 (63)

LNB Diagnosis

 Definite LNB, n (%)

149 (77)

79 (62)

 Possible LNB, n (%)

45 (23)

48 (38)

Persistent signs and symptoms at the 2-month follow-upa

 Facial nerve palsy, n (%)

26 (13)

25 (20)

 Headache, n (%)

9 (10)

5 (4)

 Fatigue, n (%)

5 (3)

7 (6)

 Abducens nerve palsy, n (%)

1 (1)

0 (0)

 Affected balance, n (%)

1 (1)

0 (0)

 Hemiparesis, n (%)

1 (1)

0 (0)

 Shoulder pain, n (%)

1 (1)

0 (0)

 Joint pain, n (%)

0 (0)

1 (1)

 Neck pain, n (%)

0 (0)

1 (1)

 Radiant pain in extremity, n (%)

0 (0)

1 (1)

 Hyperesthesia in extremity, n (%)

0 (0)

1 (1)

Clinical outcome at the 2-month follow-up

 Recovered, n (%)

155 (80)

94 (74)

 Not recovered, n (%)

39 (20)

33 (26)

  1. a Some patients have reported several symptoms
  2. bPleocytosis: > 5 × 106/L white cells with a mononuclear cell dominance
  3. c Intrathecal Borrelia specific antibody synthesis in CSF
  4. LNB Lyme neuroborreliosis
  5. CSF Cerebrospinal fluid