Acute necrotic arachnidism with necrotising fasciitis and recurrent pneumothorax

• Published in: BMJ case reports Vol. 15; no. 11; p. e253018
• Main Authors: Duggal, Jasleen, Rao, Swathi Sunil, Reddy, Shiva Kumar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group LTD 01.11.2022
• Subjects: Abscesses; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Antibiotics; Brown Recluse Spider; Case reports; Compartment syndrome; Erythema; Fasciitis, Necrotizing - therapy; Fatalities; Fever; Humans; Hypotension; Insect bites; Male; Necrotizing fasciitis; Oxygen saturation; Pediatrics; Pneumothorax; Pneumothorax - diagnostic imaging; Pneumothorax - etiology; Pneumothorax - therapy; Proteins; Skin; Spider Bites; Spiders; Thorax; Venom; India; Air leaks; Mechanical ventilation; Paediatric intensive care; Dermatological
• ISSN: 1757-790X; 1757-790X
• DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2022-253018

A male infant presented with swelling of the left leg and fever. Over the next 2 days, the area developed fasciitis extending to the left thigh, abdomen, and lower chest. Meanwhile, the parents found a giant brown spider within the infant's cot belonging to the genus , otherwise called the brown recluse spider. The dermo-myonecrosis progressed to deeper tissues involving the lung parenchyma requiring invasive ventilation. CT of the thorax showed multiple pneumatoceles, and lung biopsy showed alveolar necrosis. The infant was treated with intravenous antibiotics and corticosteroids. We drained the pneumothoraces by thoracostomy and insertion of intercostal drainage tubes. The infant required respiratory support initially by conventional ventilation, which was escalated to high-frequency oscillatory ventilation. He had refractory hypoxaemia and died. This is the first fatal case of acute spider envenomation described in India. Spider envenomation must be considered in patients with sudden onset, rapidly progressive necrotising fasciitis unresponsive to antibiotic therapy.