Paederus dermatitis

Paederus dermatitis
Other namesLinear dermatitis or Dermatitis linearis
Paederus dermatitis

Paederus dermatitis, medically known as dermatitis linearis,[1] is a skin irritation resulting from contact with the hemolymph of certain rove beetles, a group that belongs to the insect order Coleoptera and the genus Paederus.[2][3][4] Other local names given to Paederus dermatitis include spider-lick, whiplash dermatitis,[5] and Nairobi fly dermatitis.[2]

Rove beetles do not bite or sting but cause skin irritations and blisters when accidentally brushed or crushed against the skin provoking them to release their coelemic fluid which contains a strong blistering chemical.[6] The active agent in the coelemic fluid is commonly referred to as pederin, although depending on the beetle species it may be one of several similar molecules including pederone and pseudopederin.[7]

"Blister beetle dermatitis", a term more properly used for the different dermatitis caused by cantharidin from blister beetles, is also sometimes used to describe paederus dermatitis caused by rove beetles.[8][9]

  1. ^ Cressey, B. D.; Paniz-Mondolfi, A. E.; Rodríguez-Morales, A. J.; Ayala, J. M.; De Ascenção Da Silva AA (2013). "Dermatitis linearis: vesicating dermatosis caused by paederus species (coleoptera: staphylinidae). Case series and review". Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. 24 (2): 124–31. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2012.11.005. PMID 23352312.
  2. ^ a b Rapini RP, Bolognia JL, Jorizzo JL (2007). Dermatology: 2-Volume Set. St. Louis: Mosby. ISBN 978-1-4160-2999-1.
  3. ^ Gelmetti C, Grimalt R (January 1993). "Paederus dermatitis: an easy diagnosable but misdiagnosed eruption". European Journal of Pediatrics. 152 (1): 6–8. doi:10.1007/BF02072506. PMID 8444208. S2CID 23226753.
  4. ^ "Paederus Dermatitis - American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (AOCD)". www.aocd.org. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  5. ^ Mullen GR, Durden LA (2009). Medical and Veterinary Entomology. Academic Press. p. 102. ISBN 978-0-08-053607-1. Pederin contacts human skin only when a beetle is brushed vigorously over the skin or crushed.
  6. ^ "Paederus Dermatitis - American Osteopathic College of Dermatology (AOCD)". www.aocd.org. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  7. ^ Verma CR, Agarwal S (January 2006). "Blistering Beetle Dermatitis: An Outbreak". Medical Journal, Armed Forces India. 62 (1): 42–4. doi:10.1016/S0377-1237(06)80154-1. PMC 4923299. PMID 27407843.
  8. ^ Singh G, Yousuf Ali S (2007). "Paederus dermatitis". Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology. 73 (1): 13–5. doi:10.4103/0378-6323.30644. PMID 17314440.
  9. ^ "Blister Beetles". Institute of Tropical Medicine. Archived from the original on 26 September 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2011.