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By Stephen M. Schleicher, MD, and Brian J. Stairs, DO
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CASE:
A 51-year-old man seeks consultation because his wife noted a new mole on his back. The lesion is asymptomatic. The patient gives negative family and personal histories for skin cancer and atypical nevi. He is in good general health and lives in a wooded area, where he spends much time outdoors and owns a variety of animals including dogs and horses.
WHAT IS YOUR DIAGNOSIS?
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Ticks are blood-sucking arachnoids. Many different species exist; among the most commonly encountered by humans are the dog (Dermacentor variabilis) and deer (Ixodes scapularis) varieties. Ticks do not fly or jump, but crawl onto their hosts. Some species are capable of transmitting serious infections including Lyme disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. For this reason, ticks should be completely removed as soon as possible after discovery. This patient’s “mole” was eradicated with fine-tipped forceps. |
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Dr. Schleicher is director of DermDx Centers
and a clinical instructor of dermatology at the Philadelphia
College of Osteopathic Medicine, at Kings College in Wilkes-Barre,
Pennsylvania, and at Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania.
He is also a member of the EMERGENCY MEDICINE editorial board.
Dr. Stairs is an associate with Westmoreland Dermatology in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
Emerg Med 39(4):55-6, 2007
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