New study highlights the potential of point-of-care testing in the diagnosis of neuroborreliosis in children with peripheral facial palsy

Evaluation of a rapid point‑of‑care test in paediatric facial palsy

A recent study by Bloch et al. evaluated the Reagena’s ReaScan+ Lyme IgM/IgG point-of-care test in 101 children with peripheral facial palsy in Denmark. Among these children, 38 were classified as having neuroborreliosis, while 63 had other diagnoses, including Bell’s palsy, Ramsay Hunt syndrome, and otitis media. The point-of-care test (POCT) results were compared both with the final neuroborreliosis diagnosis and with a conventional Borrelia burgdorferi IgG chemiluminescence immunoassay (LIAISON Borrelia IgG CLIA).

Promising diagnostic accuracy compared with laboratory testing

The results showed that the test had good diagnostic accuracy, with 87% sensitivity, 89% specificity, 92% negative predictive value, and 82% positive predictive value, as well as high concordance with the laboratory assay (kappa = 0.81).

Rapid results may support faster clinical decision‑making

While conventional Borrelia testing may take days, the key advantage of the ReaScan+ Lyme IgM/IgG test is that it will provide results within 30 minutes at the point of care, without the need to send the sample to a laboratory. According to the authors, this may help support faster clinical decision-making and more efficient patient management in children with peripheral facial palsy.

At the same time, the authors note that the test should be used to support for clinical assessment, not as a standalone diagnostic solution. A negative result did not fully exclude neuroborreliosis, and the findings were based specifically on children with peripheral facial palsy. Broader validation in other patient groups will still be important.

Overall, the study suggests that rapid Borrelia antibody testing at the point of care may offer a valuable addition to the diagnostic pathway in paediatric patients with suspected neuroborreliosis, helping clinicians make earlier and more informed decisions.

Reference and link to the original article:

Bloch J et al. Performance of a point-of-care test in the diagnosis of neuroborreliosis in children with peripheral facial palsy; a diagnostic accuracy study. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2026; 115: 117394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2026.117394