Lyme Disease Misdiagnosed as a Brown Recluse Spider Bite
Authors: Elliot D. Rosenstein, Neil Kramer
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1987)

Letters and Corrections1 November 1987Lyme Disease Misdiagnosed as a Brown Recluse Spider BiteELLIOT D. ROSENSTEIN, M.D., NEIL KRAMER, M.D.ELLIOT D. ROSENSTEIN, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, NEIL KRAMER, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-107-5-782_1 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptTo the editor: Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness caused by the spirocheteBorrelia burgdorferi(1). The condition is usually heralded by the appearance of the characteristic skin lesion, erythema chronicum migrans (2), and expands within days to form an erythematous patch or annular lesion. The initial skin eruption is often followed by the development of secondary lesions and is accompanied by malaise and fatigue, fever, myalgias, arthralgias, headache, stiff neck, and lymphadenopathy. Difficulties arise when erythema chronicum migrans presents in an atypical fashion. In the past 2 years we have seen two patients initially diagnosed as having had brown...References1. STEEREGRODZICKIKORNBLATT ARA. The spirochetal etiology of Lyme disease. N Engl J Med. 1983;308:733-40. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. STEEREMALAWISTAHARDIN ASJ. Erythema chronicum migrans and Lyme arthritis: the enlarged spectrum. Ann Intern Med. 1977;86:685-98. LinkGoogle Scholar3. BERGER B. Erythema chronicum migrans of Lyme disease. Arch Dermatol. 1984;120:1017-21. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. STEEREBARTENHAGENCRAFT ANJ. The early clinical manifestations of Lyme disease. Ann Intern Med. 1983;99:76-82. LinkGoogle Scholar5. WASSERMANANDERSON GP. Loxoscelism and necrotic arachnidism. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. 1983;21:451-72. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Newark, NJ 07112 PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByReport of Non-Lyme, Erythema Migrans Rashes from New Jersey with a Review of Possible Role of Tick Salivary ToxinsSkin InfectionsDiagnostic challenges of early Lyme disease: Lessons from a community case seriesThe Distribution of Brown Recluse Spiders in the Southeastern Quadrant of the United States in Relation to Loxoscelism DiagnosesSpider BitesDiagnosis of loxoscelism in a child confirmed with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and noninvasive tissue samplingBrown Recluse Spider EnvenomationCaveats in interpreting poison control centre data in spider bite epidemiology studiesLoxoscelism: Old obstacles, new directionsDiagnoses of brown recluse spider bites (loxoscelism) greatly outnumber actual verifications of the spider in four western American statesLyme disease masquerading as brown recluse spider biteDetection of Loxosceles species venom in dermal lesions: A comparison of 4 venom recovery methodsThe diagnosis of brown recluse spider bite is overused for dermonecrotic wounds of uncertain etiologyChemical burn misdiagnosed as brown recluse spider biteAn analysis of geographic and intersexual chemical variation in venoms of the spider Tegenaria agrestis (Agelenidae)Bites and stings of medically important venomous arthropodsArachnid EnvenomationsDiagnosis of Lyme Disease Based on Dermatologic ManifestationsMichelle S. Malane, MD, Jane M. Grant-Kels, MD, Henry M. Feder Jr., MD, Steven W. Luger, MDThe many faces and phases of borreliosis I. Lyme disease 1 November 1987Volume 107, Issue 5Page: 782-782KeywordsArthralgiaBorrelia burgdorferiErythema chronicumFatigueFeversLesionsLyme diseaseMyalgiaSecondary headachesSpirochetes Issue Published: 1 November 1987 PDF DownloadLoading ...