Is my child’s cataract related to her Lyme disease?
SEP 11, 2018
Question:
My daughter, who is 6 years old, was recently diagnosed with a cataract. She had some blood work done, and her ANA test (a blood test that helps diagnose autoimmune disease) was positive. We did a second round of blood work to test for Lyme, and that is positive as well. Is this cataract directly related to the Lyme disease?
Answer:
There is no way to give a true answer to this, as most with Lyme disease or autoimmune disease (goes with the ANA) do not necessarily develop early cataracts. However, if she has been on chronic steroid treatment, this could lead to early cataract. A pediatric ophthalmologist would be best to follow up with in regard to these issues.