Keratitis and Retinitis Secondary to Tarantula Hair

Fungal Keratitis Caused by Paecilomyces lilacinus Associated With a Retained Intracorneal Hair

“…Hair in particular may enter the cornea by trauma, wind, direct contact with the source of the hairs, or indirect contact by rubbing the eye with a contaminated hand or towel. Olorenshaw et al 16 18 and arachnid (eg, tarantula) hairs [19][20][21][22] have also been reported in the cornea. Management of these varies with the nature, location, and response of the involved cornea.…”

“…19 The initial reaction is often followed by a variable quiescent interval in which the hairs may advance or migrate through the ocular tissues. Hair foreign bodies have been shown to penetrate deeply into the cornea and anterior segment, 17,19,23 and once embedded these hairs can migrate 18,22 or advance deeper 20,21 into the cornea. Although various theories have been proposed, the exact mechanism by which these hairs migrate or advance into deeper layers of the cornea with time is not known.…”

Animal-inflicted ocular and adnexal injuries in children: A systematic review

“…Tarantulas were implicated in 14 of these cases. 14,31,34,67,71,88,100,102,117,119,126,128,135,160 The other 5 cases involved spiders belonging to the Loxosceles genus, specifically the brown recluse spider. 2,18,76,82,146 There were distinct differences in patient age, gender, and geographical distribution between the Loxosceles and tarantula groups.…”

“…Tarantula injuries were more likely to occur in boys (85.7% versus 80%) and an older age group (13.9 versus 8.6 years) compared with Loxosceles injuries. The majority of Loxosceles injuries occurred in Turkey (4 of 5), 2,18,82,146 whereas the tarantula group reports originated from the United States, 14,31,67,88,117,128,135 United Kingdom, 34,100,126,160 Ireland, 102 and Europe. 119 The types of injuries that were sustained also differed between the groups.…”

“…Typical management involved topical steroids with additional antibiotics and cycloplegia in some, as well as mechanical removal of hairs where possible. 14,31,34,67,71,88,100,102,117,119,126,128,135,160 In contrast, Loxosceles-related injuries were bites and primarily involved the adnexa. Preseptal swelling associated with hemorrhage and necrosis was the most common presentation.…”