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Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Microdissection of Black Widow Spider Silk-producing Glands
Published on: January 11, 2011
An extensive case of dermonecrotic arachnidism
Sherrie J Divito1, Justin M Haught, Joseph C English
1Department of Dermatology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Abstract:
Dermonecrotic arachnidism is the potential cutaneous reaction to spider bite venom. The yellow sac spider, genus Cheiracanthium, is historically considered capable of inducing dermonecrotic lesions. However, recently this belief has been hotly debated. In this article, the authors provide a brief review of dermonecrotic arachnidism and describe a case of a 20-year-old man who developed severe necrosis and edema of the left thigh, buttock, penis, and scrotum following the bite of a yellow sac spider. Notably, the patient wore a tight-fitting garment for multiple hours following the spider bite, thus compressing the envenomated tissue. This is the first case reporting such severe dermonecrosis resulting from a yellow sac spider bite and highlights the potential effects of tissue compression following spider envenomation.
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