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January 1987, Vol 123, No. 1 >
Article | January 1987

Spider Bites

Lloyd E. King, Jr, MD, PhD
[+] Author Affiliations

Division of Dermatology Vanderbilt University and Veterans Administration Medical Centers 1310 24th Ave 5 Nashville, TN 37203


Arch Dermatol. 1987;123(1):41-43. doi:10.1001/archderm.1987.01660250047015
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Since most arthropods are usually harmless or beneficial to mankind, it may at first be hard to understand why araneophobia, the irrational fear of spiders, is so common.1-4 The roots of this fear are deep-seated and unlikely to be overcome in most people. Therefore, bites by arthropods are often brought to the attention of dermatologists by anxious patients who fear they have been bitten by a "vicious" spider. In this issue of the Archives, Wong et al2 review the current knowledge about spiders causing medically and diagnostically important envenomations, or "bites." The intent of this editorial is to highlight concepts important in treatment as well as in patient education and prevention, especially with regard to Loxosceles reclusa.

ECOLOGICAL NICHES  There are more than 100 000 species of spiders, each of which has become adapted to its environment in creative and presumably environmentally useful ways. When humans intrude on the

REFERENCES

1 +
Harwood RG, James MT: Entomology in Human and Animal Health . New York, Macmillan Publishing Co Inc, 1979;, pp 444-452.
2 +
Wong RC, Hughes SE, Voorhees JJ:  Spider bites . Arch Dermatol 1987;;123:98-104.
3 +
Maretic Z, Lebez D: Araneisum With Special Reference to Europe . Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Nolit Publishing House, National Library of Medicine TT73-56021, 1979;.
4 +
Rees RS, King LE Jr:  Arthropod bites and stings , in Fitzpatrick TB, Eisen AZ, Wolff K, et al (eds): Dermatology in General Medicine . New York, McGraw-Hill International Book Co, 1987;, pp 2495-2505.
5 +
Williams HE, Breene RG, Rees RS: The Black Widow Spider , publication PB1193. Knoxville, Tenn, University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service, 1985;, pp 1-12.
6 +
Williams HE, Breene RG, Rees RS: The Brown Recluse Spider , publication PB1191. Knoxville, Tenn, University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service, 1985;, pp 1-11.
7 +
Geren CR, Chan TK, Ward BC, et al:  Composition and properties of extract of fiddleback (Loxosceles reclusa) spider venom apparatus . Toxicon 1973;;11:471-479.
8 +
Rees RS, Nanney LB, Yates RA, et al:  Interaction of brown recluse spider venom on cell membranes: The inciting mechanism? J Invest Dermatol 1984;;83:270-275.
9 +
Bernheimer AW, Campbell BJ, Forrester LJ:  Comparative toxinology of Loxosceles reclusa and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis . Science 1985;;228:590-591.
10 +
Kurpiewski G, Forrester LJ, Barrett JT, et al:  Platelet aggregation and sphinogomyelinase D activity of purified toxin from the venom of Loxosceles reclusa . Biochem Biophys Acta 1981;;678:467-476.
11 +
Hufford D, Morgan P:  C-reactive protein as a mediator in the lysis of human erythrocytes sensitized by brown recluse spider venom . Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1981;;167:493-497.
12 +
Kurpiewski G, Campbell BJ, Forrester LJ, et al:  Alternate complement pathway activation by recluse spider venom . Int J Tissue React 1981;;3:39-45.
13 +
Rees RS, Hawiger J, Des Prez RM, et al:  Mechanism of platelet injury associated with dermonecrosis resulting from brown recluse spider venom , abstracted. Clin Res 1982;;30:265.
14 +
Smith CW, Micks DW:  The role of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the lesion caused by the venom of the brown spider Loxosceles reclusa . Lab Invest 1970;;22:90-93.
15 +
Rees RS, Fields JP, King LE Jr:  Do brown recluse spider bites induce pyoderma gangrenosum? South Med J 1985;;78:283-287.
16 +
Rees RS, Shack RB, Withers EH, et al:  Management of the brown recluse spider bite . Plast Reconstr Surg 1981;;68:768-773.
17 +
Rees RS, Altenbern DP, Lynch JB, et al:  Brown recluse spider bites: A comparison of early surgical excision vs dapsone and delayed surgical excision . Ann Surg 1985;;202:659-663.
18 +
Berger RS:  The remarkable brown recluse spider bite . JAMA 1973;;225:1109-1111.
19 +
Wasserman GS, Anderson PC:  Loxoscelism and necrotic arachnidism . J Clin Toxicol 1983;;21:451-472.
20 +
De Lozier JB, King LE Jr, Rees RS:  Brown recluse spider bites of the upper extremity , abstracted. South Med J 1986;;79( (suppl 2) ):56.
21 +
Fardon DW, Wingo CW, Robinson DW, et al:  The treatment of brown spider bite . Plast Reconstr Surg 1967;;40:482-488.
22 +
Auer AI, Hershey FB:  Surgery for necrotic bites of the brown spider . Arch Surg 1974;;108:612-618.
23 +
King LE Jr, Rees RS:  Treatment of brown recluse spider bites . J Am Acad Dermatol 1986;;14:691-692.
24 +
King LE Jr, Rees RS:  Brown recluse spider bites: Keep cool . JAMA 1985;;254:2895-2896.
25 +
King LE Jr, Rees RS:  Dapsone treatment of a brown recluse bite . JAMA 1983;;250:648.

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1 +
Harwood RG, James MT: Entomology in Human and Animal Health . New York, Macmillan Publishing Co Inc, 1979;, pp 444-452.
2 +
Wong RC, Hughes SE, Voorhees JJ:  Spider bites . Arch Dermatol 1987;;123:98-104.
3 +
Maretic Z, Lebez D: Araneisum With Special Reference to Europe . Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Nolit Publishing House, National Library of Medicine TT73-56021, 1979;.
4 +
Rees RS, King LE Jr:  Arthropod bites and stings , in Fitzpatrick TB, Eisen AZ, Wolff K, et al (eds): Dermatology in General Medicine . New York, McGraw-Hill International Book Co, 1987;, pp 2495-2505.
5 +
Williams HE, Breene RG, Rees RS: The Black Widow Spider , publication PB1193. Knoxville, Tenn, University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service, 1985;, pp 1-12.
6 +
Williams HE, Breene RG, Rees RS: The Brown Recluse Spider , publication PB1191. Knoxville, Tenn, University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service, 1985;, pp 1-11.
7 +
Geren CR, Chan TK, Ward BC, et al:  Composition and properties of extract of fiddleback (Loxosceles reclusa) spider venom apparatus . Toxicon 1973;;11:471-479.
8 +
Rees RS, Nanney LB, Yates RA, et al:  Interaction of brown recluse spider venom on cell membranes: The inciting mechanism? J Invest Dermatol 1984;;83:270-275.
9 +
Bernheimer AW, Campbell BJ, Forrester LJ:  Comparative toxinology of Loxosceles reclusa and Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis . Science 1985;;228:590-591.
10 +
Kurpiewski G, Forrester LJ, Barrett JT, et al:  Platelet aggregation and sphinogomyelinase D activity of purified toxin from the venom of Loxosceles reclusa . Biochem Biophys Acta 1981;;678:467-476.
11 +
Hufford D, Morgan P:  C-reactive protein as a mediator in the lysis of human erythrocytes sensitized by brown recluse spider venom . Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1981;;167:493-497.
12 +
Kurpiewski G, Campbell BJ, Forrester LJ, et al:  Alternate complement pathway activation by recluse spider venom . Int J Tissue React 1981;;3:39-45.
13 +
Rees RS, Hawiger J, Des Prez RM, et al:  Mechanism of platelet injury associated with dermonecrosis resulting from brown recluse spider venom , abstracted. Clin Res 1982;;30:265.
14 +
Smith CW, Micks DW:  The role of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the lesion caused by the venom of the brown spider Loxosceles reclusa . Lab Invest 1970;;22:90-93.
15 +
Rees RS, Fields JP, King LE Jr:  Do brown recluse spider bites induce pyoderma gangrenosum? South Med J 1985;;78:283-287.
16 +
Rees RS, Shack RB, Withers EH, et al:  Management of the brown recluse spider bite . Plast Reconstr Surg 1981;;68:768-773.
17 +
Rees RS, Altenbern DP, Lynch JB, et al:  Brown recluse spider bites: A comparison of early surgical excision vs dapsone and delayed surgical excision . Ann Surg 1985;;202:659-663.
18 +
Berger RS:  The remarkable brown recluse spider bite . JAMA 1973;;225:1109-1111.
19 +
Wasserman GS, Anderson PC:  Loxoscelism and necrotic arachnidism . J Clin Toxicol 1983;;21:451-472.
20 +
De Lozier JB, King LE Jr, Rees RS:  Brown recluse spider bites of the upper extremity , abstracted. South Med J 1986;;79( (suppl 2) ):56.
21 +
Fardon DW, Wingo CW, Robinson DW, et al:  The treatment of brown spider bite . Plast Reconstr Surg 1967;;40:482-488.
22 +
Auer AI, Hershey FB:  Surgery for necrotic bites of the brown spider . Arch Surg 1974;;108:612-618.
23 +
King LE Jr, Rees RS:  Treatment of brown recluse spider bites . J Am Acad Dermatol 1986;;14:691-692.
24 +
King LE Jr, Rees RS:  Brown recluse spider bites: Keep cool . JAMA 1985;;254:2895-2896.
25 +
King LE Jr, Rees RS:  Dapsone treatment of a brown recluse bite . JAMA 1983;;250:648.

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