Loxoscelism

Abstract

Loxoscelism (bites by spiders of the genus Loxosceles) is the only proven arachnological cause of dermonecrosis. Although Loxosceles spiders can be found worldwide, their distribution is heavily concentrated in the Western Hemisphere, particularly the tropical urban regions of South America. Although Loxosceles bites are usually mild, they may ulcerate or cause more severe, systemic reactions. These injuries mostly are due to sphingomyelinase D in the spider venom. There is no proven effective therapy for Loxosceles bites, although many therapies are reported in the literature.

Documented bites by a yellow sac spider (Cheiracanthium punctorium) in Italy: a case report

“…Although most spiders are not substantially venomous, the infliction of spider bites on humans have been reported in many parts of the world (1)(2)(3)(4). Among the most known venomous spiders are species belonging to the genera Latrodectus (widow spiders) and Steatoda (combfooted spiders) in the family Theridiidae, Atrax and Hadronyche (funnel web spiders) from the family Hexathelidae, Loxosceles (brown spiders or violin spiders) of the family Sicariidae, and Phoneutria (Brazilian wandering spiders) from the family Ctenidae (1)(2)(3).…”

Necrotizing arachnidism: Diagnosing with inspection in insect bites

“…Nekrotizan araknidizmin medikal tedavisinde kortikosteroid, vazodilatör ajanlar, hiperbarik oksijen, dapson, nitrogliserin, siproheptadin gibi antihistaminikler, dekstran, heparin ve hatta elektrik akımı kullanılmıştır (1,14). Ancak etkinliği kanıtlanmış hiçbir tedavi protokolü yoktur (14).…”

“…Ancak etkinliği kanıtlanmış hiçbir tedavi protokolü yoktur (14). Olgularımızdaki lezyonlarda; 1. hastada henüz demarkasyon hattı oluşmadığı için cerrahi planlanmamıştır.…”

Acute Kidney Injury Induced by Snake and Arthropod Venoms

“…One species of spider that can cause severe renal injury is the brown spider (Loxosceles genus). Spiders of the genus Loxosceles have a worldwide distribution, since they can live under variable conditions such as temperature ranging from 8 to 43°C and that they can stay long time intervals living without food or water (Hogan et al, 2004;Swanson and Vetter, 2006). In Brazil, seven species have been described, but some of them are the most frequently implicated in bites in humans, namely Loxosceles intermedia, L. gaucho and L. laeta.…”