BACKGROUND Many ant species can harm humans;however,only a few cause life-threatening allergic reactions.Normally,reactions caused by ants occur in patients who come into contact with ant venom.Venom contains various ...BACKGROUND Many ant species can harm humans;however,only a few cause life-threatening allergic reactions.Normally,reactions caused by ants occur in patients who come into contact with ant venom.Venom contains various biologically active peptides and protein components,of which acids and alkaloids tend to cause anaphylaxis.Ant venom can cause both immediate and delayed reactions.The main histopathological changes observed in ant hypersensitivity are eosinophil recruitment and Th2 cytokine production.CASE SUMMARY A 70-year-old man was bitten by a large number of ants when he was in a drunken stupor and was hospitalized at a local hospital.Five days later,because of severe symptoms,the patient was transferred to our hospital for treatment.Numerous pustules were observed interspersed throughout the body,with itching and pain reported.He had experienced fever,vomiting,hematochezia,mania,soliloquy,sleep disturbances,and elevated levels of myocardial enzymes since the onset of illness.The patient had a history of hypertension for more than 1 year,and his blood pressure was within the normal range after hypotensive drug treatment.He had no other relevant medical history.Based on the clinical history of an ant bite and its clinical manifestations,the patient was diagnosed with an ant venom allergy.The patient was treated with 60 mg methylprednisolone for 2 d,40 mg methylprednisolone for 3 d,and 20 mg methylprednisolone for 2 d.Oral antihistamines and diazepam were administered for 12 d and 8 d,respectively.Cold compresses were used to treat the swelling during the process.After 12 d of treatment,most pustules became crusts,whereas some had faded away.No symptoms of pain,itching,or psychological disturbances were reported during the follow-up visits within 6 mo.CONCLUSION This case report emphasizes the dangers of ant stings.展开更多
The authors report the clinical case of a 29-year-old Caucasian woman who presented with clinicopathological findings and a previous outbreak all suggestive of actinic superficial folliculitis, a rarely reported and p...The authors report the clinical case of a 29-year-old Caucasian woman who presented with clinicopathological findings and a previous outbreak all suggestive of actinic superficial folliculitis, a rarely reported and probably misdiagnosed phototoxic sun-induced dermatosis first described by Nieboer in 1985. Despite the exuberance of this cutaneous eruption, it is usually auto-limited, reinforcing the importance of its knowledge, for eviction of unnecessary diagnostic tests and therapies. Mechanisms of pathogenesis postulated include ultraviolet A radiation and local heat. This photodermatosis presents as monomorphic, superficial, pustular, and non-pruritic folliculitis affecting the upper body but not the face, usually arising on neck, back, shoulders and upper trunk. The follicular pustules emerge 24 - 72 h after intense exposure to heat and/or sunlight and fade spontaneously in 5 - 10 days, without scarring. This patient showed a 48-hour latency period;the number of pustules and area of the body affected were proportional to the duration of the sunlight exposure;the eruption lasted approximately 10 days. Actinic superficial folliculitis has a specific histology with follicular subcorneal sterile pustules and a mixed inflammatory infiltrate around hair follicles, probably secondary to keratinocytes and Langerhans cells involvement in the immunomodulatory actions of ultraviolet radiation. Recurrence under identical conditions may occur, after a latency period of at least 4 weeks, but usually about 1 year. Actinic superficial folliculitis and related follicular conditions are probably underdiagnosed and subsequently there is insufficient scientific information available to clinicians. Being familiar with these entities is of the utmost importance, since it can be crucial for their management.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND Many ant species can harm humans;however,only a few cause life-threatening allergic reactions.Normally,reactions caused by ants occur in patients who come into contact with ant venom.Venom contains various biologically active peptides and protein components,of which acids and alkaloids tend to cause anaphylaxis.Ant venom can cause both immediate and delayed reactions.The main histopathological changes observed in ant hypersensitivity are eosinophil recruitment and Th2 cytokine production.CASE SUMMARY A 70-year-old man was bitten by a large number of ants when he was in a drunken stupor and was hospitalized at a local hospital.Five days later,because of severe symptoms,the patient was transferred to our hospital for treatment.Numerous pustules were observed interspersed throughout the body,with itching and pain reported.He had experienced fever,vomiting,hematochezia,mania,soliloquy,sleep disturbances,and elevated levels of myocardial enzymes since the onset of illness.The patient had a history of hypertension for more than 1 year,and his blood pressure was within the normal range after hypotensive drug treatment.He had no other relevant medical history.Based on the clinical history of an ant bite and its clinical manifestations,the patient was diagnosed with an ant venom allergy.The patient was treated with 60 mg methylprednisolone for 2 d,40 mg methylprednisolone for 3 d,and 20 mg methylprednisolone for 2 d.Oral antihistamines and diazepam were administered for 12 d and 8 d,respectively.Cold compresses were used to treat the swelling during the process.After 12 d of treatment,most pustules became crusts,whereas some had faded away.No symptoms of pain,itching,or psychological disturbances were reported during the follow-up visits within 6 mo.CONCLUSION This case report emphasizes the dangers of ant stings.
文摘The authors report the clinical case of a 29-year-old Caucasian woman who presented with clinicopathological findings and a previous outbreak all suggestive of actinic superficial folliculitis, a rarely reported and probably misdiagnosed phototoxic sun-induced dermatosis first described by Nieboer in 1985. Despite the exuberance of this cutaneous eruption, it is usually auto-limited, reinforcing the importance of its knowledge, for eviction of unnecessary diagnostic tests and therapies. Mechanisms of pathogenesis postulated include ultraviolet A radiation and local heat. This photodermatosis presents as monomorphic, superficial, pustular, and non-pruritic folliculitis affecting the upper body but not the face, usually arising on neck, back, shoulders and upper trunk. The follicular pustules emerge 24 - 72 h after intense exposure to heat and/or sunlight and fade spontaneously in 5 - 10 days, without scarring. This patient showed a 48-hour latency period;the number of pustules and area of the body affected were proportional to the duration of the sunlight exposure;the eruption lasted approximately 10 days. Actinic superficial folliculitis has a specific histology with follicular subcorneal sterile pustules and a mixed inflammatory infiltrate around hair follicles, probably secondary to keratinocytes and Langerhans cells involvement in the immunomodulatory actions of ultraviolet radiation. Recurrence under identical conditions may occur, after a latency period of at least 4 weeks, but usually about 1 year. Actinic superficial folliculitis and related follicular conditions are probably underdiagnosed and subsequently there is insufficient scientific information available to clinicians. Being familiar with these entities is of the utmost importance, since it can be crucial for their management.
