Acute transverse myelitis is defined as an acquired neuroimmune disorder of the spinal cord, which occurs as a consequence of a primary event, or directly related to an autoimmune inflammatory disease, an infectious or post-infectious disease. Amongst infectious etiologies, Borrelia spp., a tick-bourne anthropozoonosis of the ixodidae family, prevails. Approximately 10 to 15% of patients with Lyme disease undergo neurologic manifestations, with an assorted and uncertain array of clinical syndromes. Transverse myelitis accounts for up to 5% of Lyme neuroborreliosis. We describe the case of a traveler from endemic zone for Lyme disease, with encephalomyelitis secondary to acute infection by Borrelia burgderfori, with complete resolution of symptoms after concluding adequate antibiotic treatment.
Keywords: encephalomyelitis; neuroborreliosis; transverse myelitis.