Clinical Review
IN THIS ARTICLE
- Adverse effects of ciprofloxacin
- Symptoms of common tick-borne diseases
- Symptoms of phase 1 and late-phase disease
- Additional resources
Jane, an 18-year-old college student, presents in early November with a three-week history of worsening cough and sinus congestion. Recently, the cough has been interrupting her sleep and yellow-green nasal drainage and sinus pressure have increased. Ordinarily very fit and athletic, she reports that since she arrived at college two months ago, her body has become “more fragile.”
Further questioning reveals that, over the past two months, the patient’s symptoms have included extreme fatigue, severe unremitting headache, blurred vision, shortness of breath, and a racing heart rate on exertion. Her symptoms make it impossible for her to maintain her demanding exercise routine, a development that compounds her frustration and sadness. She has also been forced to limit her participation in school activities, with significant academic decline as a result.
Aside from depression (well controlled with bupropion HCl extended release, 300 mg/d), Jane’s medical history is unremarkable. She reports having “excellent health” until she arrived at her mid-Atlantic urban college.
A complicated history
Born and raised in Connecticut, Jane is an avid runner who competes in extreme sports. This past summer, she trained for and participated in two “mud run” events (ie, endurance races of several miles with numerous challenges and obstacles) in Connecticut and New York. Training included endurance runs and sprints, as well as crawling through mud-laden fields and woods.
She also did a three-week summer internship on an oyster farm. There, she was required to shuck oysters and stand in brackish water for six-hour shifts to examine oyster beds. In the process, she sustained numerous cuts and bruises on her hands, arms, and legs.
A week or so after returning to college in late August, Jane developed blisters on both heels, which progressed to infected ulcerations. She was evaluated at the university hospital emergency department (ED) and treated with a 21-day course of ciprofloxacin. When left-sided unilateral knee swelling developed about two weeks later, she underwent arthrocentesis at the university health center, but joint aspirate was not sent for analysis. A two-week course of antibiotic therapy was initiated.
From October to her presentation in early November, Jane has experienced intermittent fevers and chills, with a temperature as high as 101°F. In addition, she complains of fasciculations and weakness in her lower limbs; dyspnea, tachycardia, and dizziness during or after any exertion; unremitting posterior neck pain; and a constant, severe headache located primarily in the bitemporal region. She developed bilateral conjunctivitis, which resolved spontaneously in about one week; persistent blurred vision; a transient petechial chest rash; recurring episodes of syncope; pyelonephritis; a persistent vaginal yeast infection; decreased appetite; and a 7-lb weight loss (5% of her total body weight).
Jane’s academic and athletic performance has been severely impaired. Once a long-distance runner, she can no longer walk any distance without frequent rest. In the four months since the mud runs, the patient reports, she has been seen in the student health center four times and in the ED twice. Additionally, she has undergone thorough examinations by clinicians specializing in infectious disease, pulmonology, neurology, and neuro-ophthalmology. She has undergone lab work, including
• Complete blood cell count with differential
• Comprehensive metabolic panel
• Urinalysis and urine culture
• Lyme antibody and blood polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
• HIV testing
• Rheumatoid factor
• Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
• C-reactive protein (CRP)
• Epstein-Barr virus IgM
• Cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgM
• Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) antibody and human anaplasma phagocytophilum (HGA)
• HGA PCR
• Rickettsia antibody panel
• Babesia microti antibodies
• Pregnancy testing
• Chest x-ray
• Lumbar puncture
All lab results were within normal range. In light of this, several clinicians have told Jane that her illness is “all in her head.”
Continue for the patient investigates >>
