Differential Diagnoses

Workup

Gummin DD, Mowry JB, Spyker DA, Brooks DE, Fraser MO, Banner W. 2016 Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Poison Data System (NPDS): 34th Annual Report. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2017 Dec. 55 (10):1072-1252. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].
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Gummin DD, Mowry JB, Spyker DA, Brooks DE, Beuhler MC, Rivers LJ, et al. 2018 Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Poison Data System (NPDS): 36th Annual Report. Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2019 Dec. 57 (12):1220-1413. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Gonzalez Valverde FM, Gomez Ramos MJ, Menarguez Pina F, Vazquez Rojas JL. [Fatal latrodectism in an elderly man]. Med Clin (Barc). 2001 Sep 22. 117(8):319. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Pneumatikos IA, Galiatsou E, Goe D, Kitsakos A, Nakos G, Vougiouklakis TG. Acute fatal toxic myocarditis after black widow spider envenomation. Ann Emerg Med. 2003 Jan. 41(1):158. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Hoxha R. Two Albanians die from black widow spider bites. BMJ. 2006 Aug 5. 333(7562):278. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].
Bush SP, Thomas TL, Chin ES. Envenomations in children. Pediatr Emerg Med Rep. 1997. 2:1-12.
Woestman R, Perkin R, Van Stralen D. The black widow: is she deadly to children?. Pediatr Emerg Care. 1996 Oct. 12(5):360-4. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
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Kose A, Bozkurt S, Lok U, Zenginol M, Yildirim C, Gunay N, et al. Presumptive Latrodectus bite with ileus and myocardial involvement. Wilderness Environ Med. 2010 Sep. 21 (3):271-2. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Quan D, Ruha AM. Priapism associated with Latrodectus mactans envenomation. Am J Emerg Med. 2009 Jul. 27 (6):759.e1-2. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Bush S, McCune R, Phan T. Priapism after western black widow spider (Latrodectus hesperus) envenomation. Wilderness Environ Med. 2014 Mar. 25 (1):80-1. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Cohen J, Bush S. Case report: compartment syndrome after a suspected black widow spider bite. Ann Emerg Med. 2005 Apr. 45(4):414-6. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Erdur B, Turkcuer I, Bukiran A, Kuru O, Varol I. Uncommon cardiovascular manifestations after a Latrodectus bite. Am J Emerg Med. 2007 Feb. 25 (2):232-5. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Levine M, Canning J, Chase R, Ruha AM. Cardiomyopathy following latrodectus envenomation. West J Emerg Med. 2010 Dec. 11 (5):521-3. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Bush SP. Black widow spider envenomation mimicking cholecystitis. Am J Emerg Med. 1999 May. 17(3):315. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Allen RC, Norris RL. Delayed use of widow spider antivenin. Ann Emerg Med. 1995 Sep. 26(3):393-4. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
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Media Gallery

Black widow spider (Latrodectus mactans) and offspring. Photo by Sean Bush, MD.
Female black widow spider guarding an egg case; species Latrodectus mactans. By Chuck Evans (mcevan). [CC BY 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], courtesy of Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_Widow_Spider_07-04-20.jpg).
Female black widow spider, Latrodectus mactans, in the process of spinning her web on a tree branch. Note the characteristic red hourglass located on her inferior abdominal surface. This marking can vary in coloration from yellowish to shades of orange and red and, at times, white. The female’s body is an overall shiny jet-black in color. This spider was found on a farm in the US state of Georgia. By James Gathany (http://phil.cdc.gov/phil/) [Public domain], courtesy of Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_widow_spider_9854_lores.jpg).
A redback spider (Latrodectus hasseltii) female, found in suburban Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. By Toby Hudson [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], courtesy of Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Latrodectus_hasseltii_close.jpg).
Young female Latrodectus tredecimguttatus; photo taken in Croatia by K. Korlevic. No machine-readable author provided. Kork~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Latrodectus_tredecimguttatus_female.jpg).

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Author

Sean P Bush, MD, FACEP Professor of Emergency Medicine, The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University

Sean P Bush, MD, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, International Society on Toxicology, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Wilderness Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Jennifer P Cohen, MD Emergency Physician, Mt Graham Regional Medical Center; Medical Toxicologist, Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Spencer Greene, MD, MS, FACEP, FACMT, FAAEM President, Bayou City Medical Toxicology and Emergency Medicine Consultants, PLLC

Spencer Greene, MD, MS, FACEP, FACMT, FAAEM is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Clinical Toxicology, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Medical Toxicology, East Texas Herpetological Society, Texas College of Emergency Physicians

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

John T VanDeVoort, PharmD Regional Director of Pharmacy, Sacred Heart and St Joseph's Hospitals

John T VanDeVoort, PharmD is a member of the following medical societies: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

James Steven Walker, DO, MS Clinical Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine

James Steven Walker, DO, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, American Osteopathic Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Joe Alcock, MD, MS Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center

Joe Alcock, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Additional Contributors

Robert L Norris, MD Professor Emeritus, Department of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center

Robert L Norris, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, Wilderness Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Widow Spider Envenomation Differential Diagnoses

Differential Diagnoses

References

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