67-year-old Woman

1: JAMA. 1988 May 13;259(18):2737-9. Links Fatal adult respiratory distress syndrome in a patient with Lyme disease. Kirsch M, Ruben FL, Steere AC, Duray PH, Norden CW, Winkelstein A. Department of Medicine, Montefiore Hospital, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA 15213.

A dry cough, fever, generalized maculopapular rash, and myositis developed in a 67-year-old woman; she also had markedly abnormal liver function test results. Serologic tests proved that she had an infection of recent onset with Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent that causes Lyme disease. During a two-month course of illness, her condition remained refractory to treatment with antibiotics, salicylates, and steroids. Ultimately, fatal adult respiratory distress syndrome developed; this was believed to be secondary to Lyme disease. PMID: 3357244 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]