Differential Diagnosis of Necrotic Skin Lesions

 
 
 
   
Brown recluse spider bite  
   
Methicillin-resistant Staphylcoccus aureus  

 

 
Conditions Potentially Misdiagnosed as Bites of a Loxosceles Spider [1]
   
Infections:  
  Atypical mycobacterial infection:  
 
 
Myobacterium ulcerans
 
 
M. tuberculosis
 
  Bacterial infection:  
 
 
Cutaneous anthrax
 
Gonococcemia
 
  Rickettsial disease  
  Staphylococcal  
  Streptococcal  
  Syphilis  
 
Tularemia
 
  Deep fungal infection:  
 
  Aspergillosis  
 
Cryptococcosis
  Sporotrichosis  
 
  Ecthyma  
  Ecthyma gangrenosum  
  Infection with environmental pathogens  
  Parasitic infection  
  Viral infection:  
 
  Herpes simplex  
 
Herpes zoster
 
 
   
Vascular occlusive or venous disease:  
  Antiphospholipid-antibody syndrome  
  Livedoid vasculopathy  
  Small-vessel occlusive arterial disease  
  Venous stasis ulcers  
 
   
Necrotizing vasculitis:  
  Leukocytoclastic vasculitis  
  Polyarteritis nodosa  
  Takayasu's arteritis  
  Wegener's granulomatosis  
 
   
Neoplastic disease:  
  Leukemia cutis  
  Lymphoma  
  Primary skin neoplasms:  
 
  Basal-cell carcinoma
  Malignant melanoma
  Squamous-cell carcinoma
 
     
 
Chemical, thermal, or traumatic injuries, including factitious injuries  
   
Other conditions:  
  Calcific uremic arteriolopathy
  Cryoglobulinemia
  Diabetic ulcer
  Langerhans'-cell histiocytosis
  Lymphomatoid papulosis
  Other arthropod bites
  Pemphigus vegetans
  Poison ivy or poison oak
  Pyoderma gangrenosum
  Pressure ulcers
  Radiotherapy
  Septic embolism
 

 

[1] Isbister, G.K., Whyte, I.M., 2004.  Suspected whitetail spider bite and necrotic ulcers. Intern Med J;34:38-44.

 
 
  All content ©2009 Ganyard - All rights reserved.