Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
Volume 108, Issue 12 , Pages 964-966, December 2009

Eosinophilic Cellulitis After Honeybee Sting

  • Hsing-Lin Lin

      Affiliations

    • Division of Trauma, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Emergency Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Jiun-Nong Lin

      Affiliations

    • Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital/IShou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chao-Wen Chen

      Affiliations

    • Division of Trauma, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Emergency Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Liang-Chi Kuo

      Affiliations

    • Division of Trauma, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Emergency Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Wei-Che Lee

      Affiliations

    • Division of Trauma, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Emergency Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Wei-Che Lee, Division of Trauma, Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, 100 Tzyou 1st Road, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan

Received 13 December 2007; received in revised form 8 April 2008; accepted 16 April 2008.

Article Outline

Stings by honeybees are not uncommon and most cases cause pain but no significant medical problems. Some patients, however, have lethal complications such as acute anaphylactic shock. Cellulitis caused by honeybee sting is very rare and can be a late complication in some patients. We report a 45-year-old female patient who was stung by a honeybee, and whose right forearm showed progressive swelling with bullous formation after the sting. She was sent to our emergency department with the diagnosis of right hand cellulitis. After treatment with antibiotics for 5 days, the lesions showed no response. Then, systemic steroid was used and the lesion gradually resolved. Diagnosis of Wells' syndrome was made according to clinical appearance, course and characteristic histopathological findings.

Key Words:  bees , cellulitis , eosinophilia , insect bites and stings , Wells' syndrome

No full text is available. To read the body of this article, please view the PDF online.

 

Back to Article Outline

References 

  1. Wells GC . Recurrent granulomatous dermatitis with eosinophilia . Trans St Johns Hosp Dermatol Soc . 1971;57:46–56
  2. Clark DP , Anderson PC . Eosinophilic cellulitis caused by arthropod bites . Int J Dermatol . 1988;27:411–412
  3. Toulon A , Bourdon-Lanoy E , Hamel D , et al.   Wells' syndrome after primoinfection by parvovirus B19 in a child . J Am Acad Dermatol . 2007;56(Suppl 1):S50–S51
  4. Tsuda S , Tanaka K , Miyasato M , et al.   Eosinophilic cellulitis (Wells' syndrome) associated with ascariasis . Acta Derm Venereol . 1994;74:292–294
  5. Canonne D , Dubost-Brama A , Segard M , et al.   Wells' syndrome associated with recurrent giardiasis . Br J Dermatol . 2000;143:425–427
  6. Hurni MA , Gerbig AW , Braathen LR , et al.   Toxocariasis and Wells' syndrome: a causal relationship? . Dermatology . 1997;195:325–328
  7. Davis RF , Dusanjh P , Majid A , et al.   Eosinophilic cellulitis as a presenting feature of chronic eosinophilic leukaemia, secondary to a deletion on chromosome 4q12 creating the FIP1L1PDGFRA fusion gene . Br J Dermatol . 2006;155:1087–1089
  8. Renner R , Kauer F , Treudler R , et al.   Eosinophilic cellulitis (Wells' syndrome) in association with angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy . Acta Derm Venereol . 2007;87:525–528
  9. Adame J , Cohen PR . Eosinophilic panniculitis: diagnostic considerations and evaluation . J Am Acad Dermatol . 1996;34:229–234
  10. Koh KJ , Warren L , Moore L , et al.   Wells' syndrome following thimerosal-containing vaccinations . Australas J Dermatol . 2003;44:199–202

PII: S0929-6646(10)60010-1

doi:10.1016/S0929-6646(10)60010-1

Journal of the Formosan Medical Association
Volume 108, Issue 12 , Pages 964-966, December 2009

Article Tools