[French Guiana "papillonite" (lepidopterism). Clinical and epidemiological study]

Clinical studies by Dr R. Pradinaud (Cayenne) has given prominence to the symptoms of "papillonite": its primary and secondary cutaneous lesions, their localisation and evolution as well as its accompanying symptoms such as respiratory pathology. Epidemiologic survey shows a parallelism between the occurrence of papillonite and the presence of the moth Hylesia urticans. The urticant apparatus of this moth was studied with the scanning electron microscope. "Arrow" (fléchettes) were found and they more or less resemble the urticant apparatus of Thaumetopoea pityocampa Schiff caterpillar. The mechanism of action has been studied in the animal and in humans. Extracts prepared from the "arrows" have been rested in vivo guinea-pigs (bleu Evans, Liacopoulos et al.). The findings seem to incriminate an histamino-liberation.