title: Spiders in dermatology.
abstract: Spider bites represent an unusual and potentially over-represented clinical diagnosis. Despite a common fear of spiders, known as arachnophobia, current knowledge suggests that only a small number of families within the order Araneae are medically relevant. Moreover, most cutaneous spider reactions, including both evenomations and physical trauma, produce mild, local symptoms which may be managed with supportive care alone. The differential diagnosis for spider bites may be broad, especially if the offending arachnid is not seen or found. We describe a series of spiders relevant to the dermatologist in the United States.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Jun K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Chinmoy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bhate
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Schwartz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D063287:Brown Recluse Spider / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D009336:Necrosis; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D001098:Spider Bites / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D013112:Spiders / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification / Q000472:pathogenicity