A Case Report of Brown Recluse Spider Bite

Abstract

Brown recluse spider is a spider of the genus Loxosceles and also known as violin spider or fiddle-back spider. Brown recluse spider is characterized by having six eyes, with a pair in front, a pair on both sides, and a gap between the pairs. The other spiders have eight eyes in two rows of four. Brown recluse spider bites are challenging to verify but may be clinically diagnosed with consideration of geographic location, seasonality, and clinical characteristics. We present a case that involves a brown recluse spider bite in a 59-year-old female with malnutrition and polysubstance use who developed systemic symptoms and a dermonecrotic wound. Local wound care and intravenous (IV) antibiotics lead to clinical improvement by hospital day three, at which time the patient left against medical advice. The case highlights the challenges of diagnosing a brown recluse spider bites, particularly in a patient with multiple risk factors for necrotizing soft tissue infection. Furthermore, the present case represents one of the few case reports of a brown recluse spider bite in Michigan.