Visual Diagnosis in Emergency Medicine
Cutaneous Anthrax

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Case 1

A 34-year-old woman presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with complaints of sores and swelling in the right forearm for a week. The initial lesion was like an itchy insect bite; however, it progressed into a swelling in the forearm within a week. Diffuse subcutaneous edema started from the elbow, extending to the distal right upper extremity with black bullae at the dorsum of the right hand (Figure 1A and B).

Case 2

A 33-year-old woman presented 2 days after the first case with the complaint of

Discussion

Anthrax is a zoonotic infection caused by spores of Bacillus anthracis, which is a Gram-positive rod (1). Transmission of the disease, from animal to human, occurs via direct contact (cutaneous anthrax, 95%), ingestion of infected raw meat (gastrointestinal anthrax), or inhalation (pulmonary anthrax) during slaughtering or processing the animal products (2). Cutaneous anthrax usually presents as a pruritic painless papule resembling an insect bite. Later, the papule broadens and becomes an

References (3)

  • K. Tünay et al.

    Cutaneous anthrax patients: evaluation of four family members

    Eurasian J Emerg Med

    (2016)
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