Lyme Disease and Related Tick-Borne Infections - Diagnosis

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• False positive results occur when the test suggests the presence of the disease, but the person does not actually have an active infection.
• False negative results miss the actual presence of the disease. These results are also common. (If the results are negative but Lyme disease is highly suspected, the doctor will probably prescribe antibiotics anyway.)

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Test

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test detects the DNA of the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. It is sometimes used for select patients who have neurological symptoms or Lyme arthritis. The PCR test is performed on spinal fluid collected from a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) or synovial fluid (collected from an affected joint.). For most patients, standard blood antibody tests are preferred.

Review Date: 01/13/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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