There are not many Ohpthmologists familar with ocular Lyme.

It's very difficult to search for Ohpthamology papers because most sites require a subscription.

Here's the only one I could get for free.

Barb

Ophthalmology. 2000 Mar;107(3):581-7.
The expanding clinical spectrum of ocular lyme borreliosis.

Mikkila HO, Seppala IJ, Viljanen MK, Peltomaa MP, Karma A.

Department of Ophthalmology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.

OBJECTIVE: To delineate the clinical manifestations of ocular Lyme borreliosis, while concentrating on new symptoms and findings and the phase of appearance of ophthalmologic disorders. DESIGN: Observational case series. PARTICIPANTS: Ten patients with Lyme borreliosis-associated ophthalmologic findings previously reported from the Helsinki University Central Hospital in addition to 10 new cases that have since been diagnosed. INTERVENTION/TESTING: The patients underwent medical and ophthalmologic evaluation. The diagnosis of Lyme borreliosis was based on medical history, clinical ocular and systemic findings, determinations of antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblot analysis, the detection of DNA of B. burgdorferi by polymerase chain reaction, and exclusion of other infectious and inflammatory causes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Ocular complaints, presenting ophthalmologic findings, and the stage of Lyme borreliosis were recorded. RESULTS: Four patients presented with a neuro-ophthalmologic disorder, five had external ocular inflammation, 10 patients had uveitis, and one had branch retinal vein occlusion. One patient developed episcleritis and one patient developed abducens palsy within 2 months of the infection incident. In the remaining 14 patients in whom the time of infection was traced, the ocular manifestations appeared in the late stage of Lyme borreliosis. Two patients with a neuro-ophthalmologic disorder and one with external ocular inflammation experienced severe photophobia, whereas the main reported symptom of the patients with uveitis was decreased visual acuity. Four patients with external ocular disease and one with a neuro-ophthalmologic disorder experienced severe periodic ocular or facial pain. Retinal vasculitis developed in seven patients with uveitis. CONCLUSIONS: Lyme borreliosis can cause a variety of ocular manifestations, which develop mainly in the late stage of the disease. Photophobia and severe periodic ocular pain can be characteristic symptoms of Lyme borreliosis. In the differential diagnosis of retinal vasculitis, Lyme borreliosis should be taken into account, especially in endemic areas.

Publication Types:
Case Reports

 

You can probably access medical journals if you are in a university medical center as staff or student. Have a friend in such a place.

Local hospital library? get on line there.
see if they have computers. the hospital might subscribe to eye journals containing studies,etc. on lyme. i'd presume hospitals have libraries for access by relatives of patients.
 

Kinda doubt there's been a whole lot of publishing on this subject. As we know, lyme is not considered a serious disease, and definitely not a career enhancer to study. This is why we need that center at Columbia, so specialists of various types can research this kind of stuff.

You might mention to this doc that syphilis and lyme are both spirochetal diseases, with a lot of symptoms in common. Syphilis definitely affects eyes. Maybe this will convince him. Although, I am not sure what difference it will make in his treatment. Is there any treatment for this condition?

When I did an on-line search of the National Library of Medicine, using the terms eye +borrelia, a list of more than 80 citations came up. But I think Barb picked the best of the lot in her post. I did this search because Lyme has done some permanent damage to my eyesight, so am interested in the subject.

[This message has been edited by lou (edited 21 May 2005).]
 

i saw a neuro-opthalmolgist in san francisco who referred me to uc's school of optometry for further tests...it was finally decided that my retina wasn't getting enough blood (ie oxygen)....this diagnosis came through a couple of days later than my babesia diagnosis so it all fit together

so you might want to make sure he's doing b12 injections....and think about babs treatment..

good luck,
deb

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