Painful violaceous pigmentation, a clinical challenge and diagnostic approach in a tropical country

• Autores: Rojas-Gómez, Oscar Fabián, Delgado-Ortiz, Natalia, Zamora-Suarez, Adriana, Mondragón-Cardona, Álvaro Eduardo, Escobar-Montealegre, Freddy, Jiménez-Canizales, Carlos Eduardo
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2022
• Institución: Colegio Médico del Perú
• Repositorio: Acta Médica Peruana
• Lenguaje: inglés
• OAI Identifier: oai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/2307
• Enlace del recurso: https://amp.cmp.org.pe/index.php/AMP/article/view/2307
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: Arthropod Venoms; Benzoquinones; Hyperpigmentation; Erythema; Colombia

Millipedes are not considered poisonous animals, although in some cases their chemical defense mechanisms may be deleterious for human beings, manifesting as erythematous, purpuric and/ or cyanotic lesions alongside local pain and paresthesia. According to the exposure, the clinical condition may progress to moderate and severe lesions such as ulcers and blisters. We describe a case of a male child from the Andean region in Colombia, an area with daily temperatures between 15° and 30° C and 72% average humidity. The boy accidentally stepped on a millipede, and this occurrence became a challenge for its diagnosis amongst staff who provided emergency health care.