Treatment of lyme borreliosis: randomized comparison of doxycycline and penicillin G

Seventy-five patients with neurological symptoms of Lyme borreliosis were randomly assigned to intravenous treatment with either penicillin G or doxycycline. After 12 months the treatments were equally effective regarding the clinical picture and laboratory findings. No patient was considered to be a treatment failure. However, one-third of the patients showed delayed recovery, particularly after a longer primary disease duration. A slow recovery, lasting years, was typical of subacute or chronic borreliosis.