Author/Editor		Videčnik, Jerneja; Zorman, Peter
Title		Klinične in epidemiološke značilnosti bolnikov z erythema migrans
Type		monografija
Place		Ljubljana
Publisher		Medicinska fakulteta
Publication year		2001
Volume		str. 40
Language		slo
Abstract		Background. Lyme borreliosis is endemic in Slovenia. The incidence has been increasing during the past ten years and is among highest in Europe. Erythema migrans is the clinical hallmark of Lyme borreliosis. It is estimated that this sign is present in approximately three fourths of patients in the early course of the disease. Typical erythema migrans is the only clinical finding that enables a reliable diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis. The presence of erythema migrans alone is a sufficient indicator for the institution of antibiotic therapy, which is especially efficient early in the course of the illness. AIM. In our study we presented clinical and epidemiological findings of adult patients with erythema migrans diagnosed at the Lyme boreliosis Outpatients Clinic, Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center, Ljubljana in the year 2000. These findings were compared with the data obtained by the same approach for an identical group of patients from 1993. Hypothesis. We expected that the knowledge on Lyme borreliosis has improved in 2000 comparing to 1993, and hypothesized that patients would visit the Clinic earlier in the course of the disease and consequently present with smaller skin lesions and had fewer systemic complaints. Methods. The study was prospective. Patients who qualified for the inclusion in the study were adults aged 15 years and more, diagnosed with typical erythema migrans in 1993 and 2000 at the lyme boreliosis Outpatients Clinic in Ljubljana. Diagnosis of erythema was established clinically according to the modified criteria proposed by CDC (Centers for Disease Control). Epidemiological and clinical data were acquired by means of a questionnaire. Differences in the quantittative data were analyzed by the Kruskall-Wallis test while differences in the qualitative data by hi-square test or Fishers exact test. (Abstract trunacted at 2000 characters).
Descriptors		ERYTHEMA CHRONICUM MIGRANS LYME DISEASE PROSPECTIVE STUDIES