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| Fig. 34.8 A, Human bedbug feeding of human skin. B, The bedbug bite typically occurs on the trunk and extremities in a generalized asymmetrical papular eruption that may be grouped into a 'breakfast, lunch, and dinner' pattern. |
The human bedbug,
Cimex lectularius, is a reddish-brown, wingless insect resembling the size and shape of a ladybug that has been stepped on (Fig. 34-8A). They dine alone at night—rapidly and painlessly—but live gregariously during the day in dark closets, behind wallpaper, or under furniture and are not usually seen. Once thought to be associated only with unclean housing, bedbugs can be found in the most pristine homes and may be passively brought in on luggage, clothing, or secondhand furniture. Relatives of the human bedbug may be associated with bats or birds that live in or nearby the home. The pruritic bites are often multiple and grouped into a “breakfast, lunch, and dinner” pattern (Fig. 34-8B). Treatment of the patient is symptomatic, but fumigation of the home is necessary to get rid of the pest. With a good description of the bug, patients are often able to recover one to confirm the diagnosis.
Thomas I, Kihiczak GG, Schwartz RA: Bedbug bites: a review,
Int J Dermatol 43:430–433, 2004.
Kolb A, Needham GR, Neyman KM, et al: Bedbugs dermatologic therapy 22:347–352, 2009.
