Case report of delayed post-awareness and severe seizure muscle convulsions after Chilean Rose Tarantula (Grammostola rosea)
introduction
Grammostola rosea (Chilean rose tarantula) is a common exotic pet belonging to the terra fern (talantula) family. Case reports of teraphosid bites in adults generally describe local tissue damage and local pain. Muscle convulsions are also described as the result of bites, but they are rare. We present a case of severe and persistent muscle convulsion after chewing with G Rosea. This is rarely reported in the literature.
Case report
A 42-year-old woman had a G Rosea Tarantula when bitten in the forearm. Within a few hours, a serious local muscle convulsion occurred. As the convulsions got worse, she initially presented them to the emergency department the day after the bite, and again the following day. She was recognized on her second visit and was treated with diazepam, cephalexin, diphenhydramine, baclofen, cefpodoxime, doxycycline, prednisone, and topical hydrocortisone. Her clinical examinations were not noticeable and medical management may have slightly improved her symptoms, but painful convulsions continued. After being discharged from the hospital, her paroxysmal muscle convulsions lasted for four weeks, and then completely resolved.
Conclusion
Although local tissue damage and pain are common, g rosea bites can lead to serious muscle cramps that last for several weeks. In these cases, standard clinical tests may be completely normal. Muscle convulsions are persistent and difficult to manage.
