Blister beetle bites: a case report

Contacts with insects of the order coleoptera of the families Meloidae and Oedemeridae, in particular the bites of the abscess beetle, lead to acantholysis and the formation of intraepidermal blisters, as well as nonspecific skin damage. The family Meloidae (true abscess beetles) are distributed almost everywhere, with the exception of the territories of New Zealand, Antarctica and the Polynesian islands.

Insect species of the Meloidea family have a unique life cycle. Meloidae females lay eggs not only on coleoptera larvae, but also on any other insects, such as crickets, mantises, wasps, bees, on which their metamorphosis continues in the future. Populations of abscess beetles number a large number of individuals, which increases the risk of their meeting with humans. These species have a highly toxic colorless and odorless poison of non-protein nature ― cantharidin.

There is a rare clinical case of an abscess beetle bite. The debut of the disease occurred at the time of the patient’s trip to the island of Goa (India), where he noted insect bites with the appearance of the first blistering rashes and further progression of the skin process. The primary diagnosis was complicated by nonspecific changes detected during the pathomorphological examination of the skin, in the form of subacute dermatitis without classical manifestations of acantholysis with intradermal blisters due to delayed biopsy appointment. Against the background of ongoing treatment (prednisone; corrective therapy with potassium, magnesium, calcium, gastroprotectors; antibiotics; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory and antimycotic drugs; combined topical glucocorticoids; a course of systemic autohemoozonotherapy) from the skin process, positive dynamics was noted in the form of relief of inflammatory phenomena, partial epithelization of wound defects.

Secondary infection of rashes, accompanied, as in this case, by abscessing, is often found with bites of various insect families: cases up to the development of necrotic fasciitis with a fatal outcome are described.

The described case is of clinical, scientific and epidemiological interest due to the isolated publications on this nosology and the complexity of diagnosis. Knowledge of the clinical picture of the disease will allow practitioners to develop tactics for managing patients with timely selection of effective therapy.