Work

Abdominal Rigidity and Lower Extremity Weakness due to a Latrodectus Bite in Greece: A Case Report

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Latrodectus, or "black widow" spiders, are found worldwide. Black widow envenomations are rare occurrences in Greece. Black widow bites cause unremarkable local lesions that may also include systemic signs and symptoms. Our purpose is to present a rare case of a black widow spider bite. Herein, we report the case of a 66-year-old farmer who presented to our hospital due to abdominal pain and was admitted after he was bitten by a black widow spider. Our patient showed the typical symptoms of latrodectism, that is, rubor and pain at the bite spot, washboard abdomen, rhabdomyolysis, and lower-extremities neuromuscular paralysis. Our case was complicated by acute renal failure, which is not common in such cases. A quite remarkable finding is the detection and capture of the culprit arthropod from the patient's clothes and its identification by expert military veterinarian-arachnologists. The patient was completely cured and discharged after a week-long hospitalization. Black widow spider bites, rare as they may be, especially in Greece, should be considered within the differential diagnosis of unremarkable local lesions, rhabdomyolysis, or acute renal failure.

Source: Cureus

DOI: 10.7759/cureus.83770

Authors: Stefanos Votsis, Dimitrios Karapiperis, Georgios Sfikas, Christos A Papanastasiou, Anthimos Pehlivanidis

Institutions: Augusta University, 424 General Military Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Language: English

Topic: Venomous Animal Envenomation and Studies

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

OpenAlex ID: W4410242702