Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through tick bites. The disease is caused by a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi, which infects humans bitten by a tick carrying the bacteria. If the infection is caught early and treated properly with antibiotics, most infected people recover fully. However, if the infection is not treated early, several different complications can develop, including Lyme arthritis, a condition of arthritis-like symptoms, explains the Mayo Clinic. One symptom of Lyme arthritis is joint effusion, or the release of fluid into joints.
Knee Effusions
The knee is effected by effusion in roughly 80 percent of patients with Lyme arthritis, reports an article published in the December 1991 issue of the "American Journal of Roentgenology". The symptoms often occur as acute attacks of arthritis, which last for a short duration but result in massive amounts of swelling and effusion. In cases of severe swelling, doctors may need to remove fluid from the knee, and sometimes almost a half cup of fluid is removed, the article reports.
Other Large Joints
Although the knees are most commonly involved, several other joints can be affected by effusion in patients with Lyme arthritis. In addition to the knee, other large joints are commonly affected, such as the shoulders, hips and elbows, the article in the "American Journal of Roentgenology" explains. Even after Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics and all traces of the bacteria are gone from the body, symptoms of joint effusion may persist, reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Small Joints
Small joints, including the wrists, fingers, toes and jaw, may also develop symptoms of effusion. Effusion or swelling of the jaw joint, also called the temporomandibular joint, is typically one indicator of Lyme arthritis.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Lyme Disease
- "American Journal of Roentgenology"; Lyme Disease and Radiologic Findings in Lyme Arthritis; Jack P. Lawson and Daniel W. Rahn; December 1991
- "U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention"; Inaccurate Information About Lyme Disease on the Internet; James D. Cooper and Henry M. Feder Jr; December 2004
- The Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center: Lyme Disease Controversies
