Reality bites of spider bites: a case report and review of the local epidemiology

摘要

Spider bites are a frequent complaint, often prompting patients to seek medical attention. 1 However, the diagnosis of a spider bite is frequently inferred by the patient, and a thorough evaluation subsequently reveals an alternate diagnosis. Gertsch et al demonstrated that of 600 consecutive “spider bite” cases, 80% were incorrectly diagnosed. 2 Alternative diagnoses included bites by arthropods other than spiders, 2 bacterial, viral or fungal infections 3 and malignant tumours. 3 In this study, we describe the case of a patient who was initially misdiagnosed as having been bitten by a spider. Later, the patient was demonstrated to have a spontaneous, soft tissue Staphylococcus aureus infection. We further describe the local epidemiology of cases presenting with spider bites and the subsequent microbiological findings.