Envenomation by a window spider
Macmillan, D.L.
Medical Journal of Australia 150(3): 163
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0025-729X PMID: 2497309 Document Number: 328867
The case report is given of a physically fit 40-year-old man at Melbourne, Australia, who received multiple bites on the ankle from a male window or black house spider (Badumna insignis) which had been trapped within his sock for several hours. This is thought to be the 1st formal description of human envenomation accompanied by definitive specific identification of the spider concerned. Within 6 h the ankle was painful, swollen and unable to bear the weight of walking. Itching followed at the site of the bites and several puncture wounds then became apparent. Despite taking paracetamol and promezathine some 24 h post-bite the patient suffered growing localized pain, muscle weakness, fever and sweats. Swelling involved the entire leg, with enlarged inguinal lymph nodes by 36 h; between the 2nd and 3rd days some ulceration developed at the site of the bites with bruising and discoloration in the surrounding areas. Swelling began to subside from about day 6, and over the next 9 days the patient increasingly recovered the ability to walk, with decreasing pain. Some sloughing of skin and localized tissue necrosis followed and discoloration was still present 20 days post-bite. Special points of interest are (a) that no pain was felt either when the bites were inflicted or for several hours thereafter, implying that many such spider bites may pass unnoticed, and (b) that the reaction observed may have been exceptionally severe owing to the spider's entrapment. A proven case of envenoming by a male window spider (Badumna insignis) is reported in a fit 40-year-old man bitten on the ankle. He suffered extensive swelling and oedema extending from the lower calf on to the dorsum of the foot. Two days later hyperaesthesia of the leg developed with extension of swelling, enlargement of inguinal lymph nodes and local discolouration. These conditions persisted but began to subside 6 days after the bite. The author could not determine whether this reaction was typical or due to the infliction of multiple bites. It is suggested that, in future, bites by this species of spider should be considered as being potentially dangerous.R.D.G. Theakston.