[Borreliosis--increasing clinical problem].

Lyme disease (LD) is due to infection with Borrelia burgdorferi (B. burgdorferi). We analysed some aspects of epidemiology and clinical manifestation of borreliosis. We tried to estimate the efficiency of diagnostic methods and treatment. We analyzed medical documentation of 300 patients with LD treated in our department between 1993-2001. The diagnosis was made according to Lyme Disease Foundation's criteria. Patients suffering from LD were divided into 3 groups according to stages of the disease. The most frequent manifestation of LD was erythema migrans (EM). The number of LD cases had increased during the observation time. The exposition to tick-bites was greater during summer and early autumn. The great number of patients with EM was observed at the same time. Cases of Lyme arthritis (LA), disseminated EM, Lyme carditis (LC) and neuroborreliosis represented the group number 2. LA, uveitis and acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans (ACA) were diagnosed in the third group of patients. Serological markers of B. burgdorferi infection were found in about 50% of cases of EM and in each patient in group 2 and 3. Complete recovery after antibiotic therapy was observed in every case in early LD and partial one in the late stage.