Tick bites in Korea

Abstract

Background: Tick bites are dermatoses not commonly encountered in Korea. Recognizing their clinical signs as well as their histopathologic findings is important in making a diagnosis of tick-related dermatoses. The incidence and causative species are different depending on the geographic areas. The histopathologic findings of tick bites are known to be a variable depending on the species of ticks involved and the duration of their bloodsucking.

Methods: Five ticks were collected from five patients and three of them were identified as Ixodes (I.) nipponensis.

Results: Histopathologic findings of panniculitis were prominent in four of five cases; septal panniculitis in two cases, and lobular panniculitis in the other cases.

Conclusions: Ixodes nipponensis was the most common causative species of ticks responsible for tick bites in Korea, and tick bite panniculitis must be considered in the differential diagnosis of panniculitis which is mainly composed of neutrophils.