Clinical Manifestation, Histopathology, and Imaging of Traumatic Injuries Caused by Brazilian Porcupine (Sphiggurus villosus) Quills
Injuries to humans caused by porcupines are rare. However, they may occur due to the proximity of urban areas and the animal’s habitat in areas such as the Floresta da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro. Outdoor sports and leisure activities in areas close to forests or in the rain forest are also relevant fo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2016-01-01
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| Series: | Case Reports in Dermatological Medicine |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/7851986 |
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| author | Lívia M. Araújo Jorge Fred Bernardes Filho Fabrício Lamy Laila Klotz A. Balassiano Loan Towersey Roderick Hay Marco Andrey C. Frade |
| author_facet | Lívia M. Araújo Jorge Fred Bernardes Filho Fabrício Lamy Laila Klotz A. Balassiano Loan Towersey Roderick Hay Marco Andrey C. Frade |
| author_sort | Lívia M. Araújo Jorge |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Injuries to humans caused by porcupines are rare. However, they may occur due to the proximity of urban areas and the animal’s habitat in areas such as the Floresta da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro. Outdoor sports and leisure activities in areas close to forests or in the rain forest are also relevant for incidents of this kind and a better knowledge of the local forest fauna would prevent such undesirable accidents. Porcupine quills have microscopic barbs at their tips which facilitate skin penetration, but hampering their removal. Once the spines are lodged in tissue, the microscopic backward-facing deployable barbs at the tips cause trauma if anyone tries to remove them. Local haemorrhage and an inflammatory response to the contaminated foreign body occur. Depending on the time lapse in removing the spines either septic or sterile foreign body reactions may occur. There is also the risk of migration of the spines, where fatal cases have been reported in human and veterinary medicine. Herein we report two unusual cases of accidents involving humans and the South American porcupine. The Sphiggurus villosus spines removed from scalp skin were also documented through Scanning Electron Microscopy. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ebd4b1c49cde4006b8786f831516d153 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2090-6463 2090-6471 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Case Reports in Dermatological Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-ebd4b1c49cde4006b8786f831516d1532025-02-03T05:47:16ZengWileyCase Reports in Dermatological Medicine2090-64632090-64712016-01-01201610.1155/2016/78519867851986Clinical Manifestation, Histopathology, and Imaging of Traumatic Injuries Caused by Brazilian Porcupine (Sphiggurus villosus) QuillsLívia M. Araújo Jorge0Fred Bernardes Filho1Fabrício Lamy2Laila Klotz A. Balassiano3Loan Towersey4Roderick Hay5Marco Andrey C. Frade6Dermatology Division, Policlínica Geral do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrazilDermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, BrazilDermatology Division, Policlínica Geral do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrazilDermatology Division, Policlínica Geral do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrazilAIDS Division, Carlos Tortelly Municipal Hospital, Ministry of Health, Niterói, RJ, BrazilKings College NHS Hospital Trust, London, UKDermatology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, BrazilInjuries to humans caused by porcupines are rare. However, they may occur due to the proximity of urban areas and the animal’s habitat in areas such as the Floresta da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro. Outdoor sports and leisure activities in areas close to forests or in the rain forest are also relevant for incidents of this kind and a better knowledge of the local forest fauna would prevent such undesirable accidents. Porcupine quills have microscopic barbs at their tips which facilitate skin penetration, but hampering their removal. Once the spines are lodged in tissue, the microscopic backward-facing deployable barbs at the tips cause trauma if anyone tries to remove them. Local haemorrhage and an inflammatory response to the contaminated foreign body occur. Depending on the time lapse in removing the spines either septic or sterile foreign body reactions may occur. There is also the risk of migration of the spines, where fatal cases have been reported in human and veterinary medicine. Herein we report two unusual cases of accidents involving humans and the South American porcupine. The Sphiggurus villosus spines removed from scalp skin were also documented through Scanning Electron Microscopy.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/7851986 |
| spellingShingle | Lívia M. Araújo Jorge Fred Bernardes Filho Fabrício Lamy Laila Klotz A. Balassiano Loan Towersey Roderick Hay Marco Andrey C. Frade Clinical Manifestation, Histopathology, and Imaging of Traumatic Injuries Caused by Brazilian Porcupine (Sphiggurus villosus) Quills Case Reports in Dermatological Medicine |
| title | Clinical Manifestation, Histopathology, and Imaging of Traumatic Injuries Caused by Brazilian Porcupine (Sphiggurus villosus) Quills |
| title_full | Clinical Manifestation, Histopathology, and Imaging of Traumatic Injuries Caused by Brazilian Porcupine (Sphiggurus villosus) Quills |
| title_fullStr | Clinical Manifestation, Histopathology, and Imaging of Traumatic Injuries Caused by Brazilian Porcupine (Sphiggurus villosus) Quills |
| title_full_unstemmed | Clinical Manifestation, Histopathology, and Imaging of Traumatic Injuries Caused by Brazilian Porcupine (Sphiggurus villosus) Quills |
| title_short | Clinical Manifestation, Histopathology, and Imaging of Traumatic Injuries Caused by Brazilian Porcupine (Sphiggurus villosus) Quills |
| title_sort | clinical manifestation histopathology and imaging of traumatic injuries caused by brazilian porcupine sphiggurus villosus quills |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/7851986 |
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