Histopathologic studies on bite of a female American dog tick, Derma-centor variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae), in a man: Changes in skin

This study presents the histopathological changes of the skin indicating the hypostome with recurved denticles and the chelae of the chelicerae imbedded in the stratum corneum of the epidermis leading to cavitation in lower layers with extravasation of blood in the area of attachment by the tick mouthparts, shearing of skin tissue, liquifaction of cells, and other cellular changes in the area of the tick bite as indicated by several colored photos. No perivascular, lymphocytic, neutrophilic, eosinophilic, or granulomatous presence was seen in the skin indicating no evidence of acute or chronic inflammatory host reaction due to an early infestation of the host mostly localized to epidermis. No deep dermis or hypodermis was received attached with the tick and, thus, no tissue reaction was observed in these two deeper cutaneous layers. The study is of interest indicating removal of tick carefully from the host as soon as possible to avoid cellular-immunologic complex reaction and formation of granuloma or infection in the skin.