Despite the disrepute
spiders have had for centuries, their
bite is a rare occurrence. In the Mediterranean area, only two of the numerous known species are considered of medical
significance: Latrodectus tredecimguttatus and Loxosceles rufescens.
Spider bites have no pathognomonic signs or symptoms, therefore most
diagnoses are presumptive; a
spider bite can only be diagnosed when a
spider (seen at the
time of the
bite ) is collected and identified by an expert, since most
physicians and
patients are unable to recognize a certain
spider species or distinguish
spiders from other
arthropods .
Skin lesions of uncertain
etiology are too often attributed to
spider bites . In most cases, these are actually
skin and soft-
tissue infections ,
allergic reactions ,
dermatoses etc. Misdiagnosing a
wound as a
spider bite can
lead to delays in appropriate care, cause adverse or even
fatal outcomes and have medical-legal implications. Concerningly,
misinformation on
spider bites also
affects the medical
literature and it appears there is lack of
awareness on current
therapeutic indications for verified
bites .(AU)