A case of dermatitis due to Nezara viridula

Abstract

A 10-year-old Japanese boy crushed a bug on his chest. After 30 minutes, painful erythema and vesicles appeared on his chest. The following day, the patient consulted our clinic, bringing with him the crushed bug and another, uncrushed dead bug. The bugs were identified as Nezara viridula. A diagnosis of irritant contact dermatitis caused by this bug was made. Arthropods produce several defensive secretions that contain toxic compounds. Patch tests of the dead bug were performed on 8 healthy volunteers. One of the 8 volunteers had a positive reaction after 48 and 72 hours. A similar bug was applied to the forearm of the author, producing an irritant reaction at the site of application.