Possible Brown Recluse Bite

[David400]

About 2 weeks ago or so (maybe more), I noticed a small lump (maybe 1/4 inch raised, 1/2-1 inch wide) form on my arm. After noticing it, I also began to notice that the skin on the top and around the area seemed to being turning a shade of brown and dying. However I have been moving and I did not really think anything about it until this week I realized it had been several weeks and had not gone away.
The skin on the area has died and peeled away and died again, and repeated the process a few more times. There does appear to be a red / black dot or hole in the center. It looks very similar to the pictures I have seen of brown recluse spider bites, but much smaller. Most people seem to have areas that are several inches wide where as this is an inch wide at most.

At this point I have gone several weeks so I am fairly certain any danger, if it was a spider bite, is gone. I am just trying to figure out if this will go away or if it could be something else.... I know the answer I will probably get is "go see a doctor" and I will if it does not go away but I wanted to see if anyone had any other ideas or knew if it would go away on it's own if I am correct.

[RJ233]

You are right about go see a doctor. I have been bitten by a brown recluse. The venom kills the skin around it and continues to kill the skin. If it has caused skin to die, then you need immediate attention. You may have been bitten by a young spider or moved before the spider got a full bite in and slowed down the process. I never felt the bite, but found a red raised place that kinda looked like it was some kind of boil. When I scrubbed it with the wash cloth, a hunk of skin came out and left a big hole. If you pull up the pictures on the internet, you will go see the doctor, because you can see the rotted flesh. The brown recluse's web is not sticky to catch food, so they jump on what ever they want to kill or eat, like your arm. It does not go away it just continues.  RJ

[Rowena Santos, MD]

Hi,

The bite of this spider produces a mild stinging, followed by local redness and intense pain within eight hours. A fluid-filled blister forms at the site and then sloughs off to leave a deep, enlarging ulcer. There is no special treatment or medication used to treat a brown recluse spider bite. If infection develops, antibiotics are used. If a wound becomes deep and infected, occasionally surgery is needed. Anytime there is a bite or a wound that is not healing and getting worse, it is highly recommended to see a physician for futher evaluation and management.

Take care and keep us posted.