Caterpillars of butterflies covered with hairs can also have needle formations, hollow inside. When the poison comes from the needles on the skin of a person, especially a child, there is irritation of the skin of varying intensity. Skin reactions to the poison of caterpillars are accepted in dermatology as dermatitis.
Since dermatitis can be caused by various factors( seborrheic, chemical, allergic, etc.), a variant of the disease with a causative factor - caterpillars has received a separate name - caterpillar dermatitis or lepidopterism. And today we will talk about the symptoms, the first signs and treatment of cutaneous caterpillar dermatitis in children and adults, show photos of patients, give practical recommendations.
Features of lepidopterism
Hairs and needles with poison on contact with the skin cause a skin reaction, much less powerful than when the poison penetrates the respiratory, digestive tracts or eyes. After moving along a part of the body, the caterpillar leaves a poisonous trace, beginning to "claim" about itself after a few minutes.
Due to the interaction of chemicals that are excreted by the cells of the gland of the caterpillar, a response reaction is formed in the form of an urticium reddish band with the receptor formations of human skin. Soon the red trace swells and begins to itch. When combing the hairs, the caterpillars along with the excreted substances penetrate into the adjacent areas, covering with hyperemia and edema large areas.
Chemical secrets from butterfly caterpillars are not the same. Some caterpillars can cause a person to have more severe skin pathologies, called "caterpillar urticaria".Larvae of butterflies affect the skin of a person on a slow type. Extracts of internal content of butterflies and their larvae, applied by application, find themselves in 1-2 days. Skin tests performed using extracts from the bodies of caterpillars give a positive result no more than 12 hours later.
The most frequent caterpillar dermatitis is provoked by larvae of butterflies living on deciduous and coniferous forest species( spruce, oak, etc.). Traces of caterpillars leave inflammatory areas on the skin of body parts that are not covered with clothing, causing severe itching to the host. Sometimes these areas reach the size of a pinhead.
Places with excessive sweating, are most vulnerable to the action of poisons of caterpillars( elbow folds on the inside, waist region, axillary zones).Often caterpillar dermatitis is accompanied by conjunctivitis and small disruptions in respiratory rhythms. Hyperemic edematous areas pass gradually, throughout the week.
Classification and stages of the disease
According to the international classification of diseases of the tenth revision, lepidopterism is correctly designated as "simple irritant contact dermatitis due to other substances".
Stages of caterpillar dermatitis can be conveniently divided into sub-stages. In total there are 3 stages of the course of simple contact dermatitis:
- Initial .It is characterized by an increase in the intensity of symptoms and morphological changes.
- Acute stage, in which the intensity of the clinical picture is maximum. The course of the stage is divided into 2 phases: acute and chronic.
- The stage of remission of , when the clinical picture gradually diminishes. Inflammation of the skin stops already in the first phase - the subacute period. The apparent stifling of the inflammatory reaction is noticeable in the second stage - complete. The third phase does not reveal traces from the transferred disease.
Causes of
The cause of caterpillar dermatitis is of a biological nature with chemical irritation of the skin of organisms that release irritants.
When investigating the secrets of butterfly caterpillars, as well as the statistical regularity of the caterpillar tracks with a human, the most frequent causative agents of caterpillar dermatosis are identified: oak silkworm, flannel moth, walking silkworm( meaning the second stage of development of the imago is the larva).
About the symptoms of caterpillar skin dermatitis read below.
Symptoms of caterpillar dermatitis
The clinical picture is manifested most often after half an hour after crawling the insect on the skin area.
- Reddening of contact areas of toxic glands with skin is called erythema. It develops a strong itch in the place of redness.
- The reddened areas swell with the formation of blisters. Blisters fill with fluid( suppuration with swelling).
- When the blisters are opened, crusts are formed, which means the transition of the acute stage to a subacute.
- The temperature rises only in the place of edema and the course of the inflammatory process.
Diagnostics
No instrumentation diagnostic methods are required to detect caterpillar dermatitis. It is enough to have an anamnesis of the patient's data and visual examination of the affected skin site.
In the absence of anamnesis( the patient was asleep or unconscious), a blood test and microscopic analysis of the scraping from the affected area is performed to exclude mycotic dermatitis.
Next, you will learn how to treat dermatitis in adults and children.
About treatment of dermatitis with clay at home, the woman in the video below will tell from her experience:
Treatment
Therapeutic method
Therapeutic treatment is reduced to diet compliance to patients who exclude the entry of hyper-allergenic products( chocolate, citrus) into the body. This exercise should be observed even for those people who did not have any allergic reactions to these products.
The caterpillar should be removed from the body if it is still moving. Do it better not with your fingers, but with objects or gloves protected with gloves to prevent hairs from getting into other foci. If possible, remove the toxic hairs of the caterpillars from the skin.
Drug method
Drug treatment is applied internally and externally.
- From internal medications, fexofenadine, cetirizine, suprastin, or other antihistamine should be taken according to the dosage indicated in the instructions for use( take into account age).
- External drugs are used less often, but in severe cases, you can use corticosteroid ointments( 1% Hydrocortisone) or bandages soaked in Prednisolone.
Operative Method
The only instrumental method that one sometimes has to use a dermatologist is to extract poisonous hairs from the skin. Invasive methods, even in severe cases, are not required.
Folk methods
It has long been known in every family that shredded raw potatoes attached to the affected skin, relieves itching and reduces the intensity of other symptoms.
- To this end, apply a lotion of aloe juice, mixed with castor oil and red wine.
- Tea tree oil and geranium reduce inflammation, prevent the development of microflora in the affected areas. Similar effect has tar soap.
- Tinctures of celandine, vinca, cornflower, alternating with honey( or without it) are applied over the affected area and woven from the outside with a cloth.
Prevention of disease
When planning a holiday in the forest or garden, physical work preferably do not leave the body open. Most often caterpillars creep unnoticed over the skin, and only traces of their movements are evidence of the causes of skin disease.
Complications
Usually, the disease passes by itself, and its treatment facilitates clinical signs and speeds up the approach of the remission phase. In severe cases, you need help from a dermatologist, an allergist.
People prone to allergic reactions may experience problems with skin, breathing, etc.
Forecast
The prognosis of the disease remains favorable even in the absence of timely treatment.
About dermatitis in the child will tell Dr. Komarovsky in this video: