Diagnosis: Spider Bite / Brown Recluse Spider / Loxosceles Envenomation

Comments: This young woman experienced a stinging sensation on her thigh while cleaning the basement in the early spring. An itchy red urticarial plaque was followed by central crusting 6-8 hours later. The next morning she developed a painful central necrotic ulcer. She was treated with oral dapsone, and the ulcer healed with minimal scarring 3 weeks later.

Category: reactive erythema / infections and infestations
Morphology: ulcerated (erosion / ulcer) / plaqulous (plaque / nodule / tumor) Pattern: asymmetric Color: purple Body Site: thigh / leg Age: 28 years
Gender: female Image Year: 2002
Contributor: Chris Ha, MD First Published: August 04, 2002
Description: painful ulcerated purpuric plaque with surrounding purpuric ring

Image & content, Copyright Dermatlas, Johns Hopkins University.