title: Dermatofibromas and arthropod bites: is there any evidence to link the two?
abstract: 30 patients with dermatofibromas were questioned closely about contacts with stinging or blood-sucking arthropods before the development of their lesions. Their responses were not significantly different from those of a matched control group. 100 dermatofibromas were examined by dissection, histology, and after acid digestion of the collagenous material; no traces of arthropod skeletal tissues were found. These data are not consistent with the theory that the mechanical presence of arthropod tissues is necessarily, or even usually, a cause of dermatofibromas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Mattacks
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Pond
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods; D001706:Biopsy; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000150:complications*; D005350:Fibroma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007299:Insect Bites and Stings / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology